Introduction

Health Problems

People who are sick or have significant illness in their families generally aren’t happy. Although this may seem obvious and perhaps unfair, given that some illnesses and conditions are inherited or occur haphazardly, be mindful of the things you can control. Of course, this gets to the negative effects of obesity and smoking. More so than any other health-related activities/conditions, these will eventually lead to deteriorating health and subsequent unhappiness.

Job Problems

You don’t have enough to do with your time? As the saying goes, an idle mind is the Devil’s workshop. It should be pointed out that neither too much work nor the wrong type of work (i.e., low job satisfaction) seems to promote either happiness or solid mental health. On average, people change careers seven times during their lifetimes. It’s often due to a search for happiness and actually is a good thing to do to avoid being stuck in a bad situation. Follow the job you love, and you’re more likely to be both happy and successful.

Relationship Problems

You make bad relationship choices? Well there’s one specific choice that is shown to be most likely to reduce your happiness—choosing a neurotic partner. What’s neurotic? For one particularly disruptive example, think about the so-called Drama Queen/King. A neurotic partner responds emotionally to events that wouldn’t affect most people, and their reactions tend to be more intense than normal. They’re more likely to interpret minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. Their negative emotional reactions persist for unusually long periods of time. In short, if you want to be really unhappy, become attached to such a person. They will negatively affect your world, keeping you embroiled in drama and unhappiness, no matter how good the financial, physical, or other parts of your relationship.

Now your results may vary but probably won’t. I’m not make judgements, just sharing the data. Your life choices have consequences as related to your mental health. Choose wisely!

Click here for more on avoiding depression.

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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, 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. Receive introductory pricing with orders!

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Introduction

Whether you’re expecting, a parent or even a grandparent, most have heard of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Unfortunately, what you’re really concerned about is Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID). SIDS is the leading cause of this category.

SUID is defined as sudden and unexpected deaths in infants less than one year of age. In order for a death to be a SUID case, the causes must not be immediately apparent. There are approximately 4,000 SUID infant deaths per year in the U.S. The three most frequently reported causes of SUID are as follows: SIDS, cause unknown, and accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed. Half of SUID cases are due to SIDS.

Tips for the first year of life

This post provides tips modified from recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). They are meant to help you reduce the risk of SIDS and SUID in your home. Consider these tips applicable for the first year:

• Place your baby to sleep on his back for every sleep and nap.
• Place your baby to sleep on a firm sleep surface. Never put your baby to sleep on a chair, sofa, waterbed, cushion, or sheepskin.
• If your baby falls asleep in a car safety seat, stroller, swing, infant carrier, or infant sling he should be moved to a firm sleep surface as soon as possible.

Tips about bed equipment

• Do not use a crib that is broken or missing parts, or has drop-side rails. 
• Cover your baby’s mattress with a fitted sheet. Do not put blankets or pillows between the mattress and the fitted sheet.

• Keep soft objects, loose bedding, or any objects that could increase the risk of entrapment, suffocation, or strangulation out of the crib. Pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, bumper pads, and stuffed toys can cause your baby to suffocate.

Things parents can do to avoid SUID and SIDS

• Place your baby to sleep in the same room where you sleep but not the same bed. Keep the crib or bassinet within an arm’s reach of your bed. You can easily watch or breastfeed your baby by having your baby nearby. Babies who sleep in the same bed as their parents are at risk of SIDS, suffocation, or strangulation. Too often, parents can roll onto babies during sleep or babies can get tangled in the sheets or blankets.

• Breastfeed as much and for as long as you can. Studies show that breastfeeding your baby can help reduce the risk of SIDS.
• Schedule and go to all well-child visits. Your baby will receive important immunizations. Recent evidence suggests that immunizations may have a protective effect against SIDS.
• Keep your baby away from smokers and places where people smoke. Keep your car and home smoke-free. Don’t smoke inside your home or car and don’t smoke anywhere near your baby, even if you are outside.

• Do not let your baby get too hot. Keep the room where your baby sleeps at a comfortable temperature. In general, dress your baby in no more than one extra layer than you would wear. Your baby may be too hot if she is sweating or if her chest feels hot.
• Offer a pacifier at nap time and bedtime. This helps to reduce the risk of SIDS. If you are breastfeeding, wait until breastfeeding is going well before offering a pacifier. This usually takes 3 to 4 weeks.

More Tips

• Do not use home cardiorespiratory monitors to help reduce the risk of SIDS. Home cardiorespiratory monitors can be helpful for babies with breathing or heart problems but they have not been found to reduce the risk of SIDS.
• Do not use products that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS. Products such as wedges, positioners, special mattresses, and specialized sleep surfaces have not been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS. In addition, some infants have suffocated while using these products.

• Give your baby plenty of “tummy time” when she is awake and you are present. This will help strengthen neck muscles and avoid flat spots on the head. Always stay with your baby during tummy time and make sure she is awake.

• If you’re an expectant mom, go to all prenatal doctor visits. Do not smoke, drink alcohol, or use drugs while pregnant and after birth.

Print this out!

Keep these tips handy. We certainly don’t want your sudden bundle of joy to become a victim of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Click here for additional tips about caring for your newborn!

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, 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. Receive introductory pricing with orders!

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Let’s talk about using E-cigarettes, aka vaping. Here are five questions you commonly ask.

What is vaping, and how is it different from smoking cigarettes?

E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that typically resemble a pen or cigarette. They enable smokers to get their “nicotine fix” without being exposed to all the other chemicals contained within regular cigarettes. E-cigarettes have chambers in which you place liquid nicotine with additional ingredients and flavorings. Heating the liquid turns the liquid into vapor. This is why the name “vaping” is applied when one uses an e-cigarette.

Is vaping safe?

On an absolute scale, the answer is no. On a relative scale, the answer is likely “safer than regular cigarettes.” Simply put, nicotine is addictive, and it produces withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Nicotine causes several other problems of note. It exacerbates problems for those with heart disease and causes damage to blood vessels. Also, nicotine harms the developing brains of kids and could affect memory and attention. Pregnant women or those attempting to become pregnant must avoid nicotine exposure, because nicotine clearly causes damage to unborn babies. E-cigarettes do not remove all the chemicals found in cigarettes; formaldehyde and other cancer-inducing products are still present.

Is vaping safer than smoking cigarettes?

The basis for e-cigarettes being safer than regular cigarettes is the production of toxins with burning that occurs when smoking cigarettes. Vaping doesn’t reach the threshold of burning, so the thousands of chemicals found in cigarettes don’t produce the same effect. A safe estimate of the relative safety of e-cigarettes compared to regular cigarettes would be that vaping is about 75% safer than smoking cigarettes, but it bears repeating: neither is safe. Fortunately, the risks of second-hand vaping are very low, according to currently research.

Is vaping effective at getting people to stop smoking cigarettes?

The American Heart Association recommends that e-cigarettes should only be used as a last-ditch effort toward quitting cigarette smoking. Unfortunately, most of the e-cigarette use in the US occurs in addition to cigarette use, as opposed to replacing cigarette use.

How is vaping affecting childhood smoking? Does it lead kids to smoke?

One commonly expressed concern is that kids who start vaping may continue as smokers throughout life. The concern arises due to the many kid-friendly flavors in e-cigarettes.

The journal Pediatrics published a study in 2016 showing a six-fold increase in cigarette use in those who used e-cigarettes compared to those who did not. A 2015 study produced in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed a similar finding. Yet, the overall trend of childhood smoking remains encouraging. Data from the CDC show that while use of e-cigarettes went up to 24% in 2015, cigarette smoking dropped to a historic low — to just under 11%.

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, 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. Receive introductory pricing with orders!

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Let’s talk about cannabidiol (aka CBD) oil. There’s a huge fervor for this, which is understandable given the wave of states having legalized marijuana. CBD oil has become widely accessible. In fact, it’s legal in thirty states, and seventeen others have CBD-specific laws allowing for some use. Still, the rush needs to be tempered with a reality check! Let’s delve into uses and concerns about CBD oil.

How is CBD oil different from marijuana?

CBD oil is an extract from the marijuana (or hemp) plant. Significantly, CBD oil does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Importantly, THC is the portion of marijuana that produces intoxication, so you don’t have to worry about being “high” with CBD oil.

How does CBD oil work?

CBD works by tapping into our brain’s endocannabinoid system. This system contains communication chemicals, millions of cannabinoid receptors with which the chemicals interact, and enzymes that synthesize and break them down. Our internal cannabinoids pass messages between the brain, nervous system and immune system. These messages help balance key body functions ranging from mood, sleep, appetite and memory. Additionally, they help coordinate the production of hormones, as well as our growth and development. Our endocannabinoid system is also involved in regulating inflammation, pain perception and immune responses. CBD (an “external” approximation of cannabinoid) interacts with some of your cannabinoid receptors but not others, which speaks to the limits of its effectiveness. CBC oil is taken as a liquid or tincture, a topical ointment or a vape/e-liquid.

For what does CBD oil work?

I am not going to dismiss the benefits (whether placebo or real) that individuals receive after taking CBD oil. However, I will emphasize the difference in what is known and what’s suspected.

• The only FDA-approved indication for CBD oil is for epilepsy (seizure disorders). Therefore, that means every other suggested use has insufficient medical research to have established a consensus and approval for use by the FDA.
• CBD oil has not been shown to be conclusively effective against anxiety, sleeplessness and inflammation (particularly of the joints). Unfortunately, the medical research does not yet support these claims.

If I choose to use it anyway, about what should I be concerned?

Your concerns should include the lack of quality control and potential side effects.

• Research has found that when tested, approximately seven of ten CBD products don’t control the amount of CBD cited on the label. Additionally, about 20% of products actually included THC (the portion of marijuana producing the intoxication). Simply put, the lack of FDA regulation means you have no assurances about what you’re actually taking.
• Side effects of note include an increase in your liver enzymes (which could reflect damage to the liver) and interactions with other drugs. CBD oil increases the blood level of other anti-seizure drugs. As a result, the potential side effects of these other drugs can become enhanced.

Summary

The sum total is if you take CBD, you shouldn’t be just grabbing it from over the counter. You should be under the care of a physician who is looking at the entirety of your health. You should be considering how and if adding CBD can enhance your health or is safe. As recently as 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported fifty-two cases of illness tied to products that were falsely labeled as CBD. Above all, ask yourself: as a consumer, how do you know a product not approved or regulated by the FDA either is what it says it is, works or is safe? Let the buyer beware.

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, 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. Receive introductory pricing with orders!

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

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The post Getting Your Pain Treated in the ER in the Midst of an Opiate Epidemic appeared first on Jeffrey Sterling, MD.

Chronic pain and its management are complicated topics, both for sufferers and those who care for them. Thank you for your feedback on the previous post and appreciating the spirit in which the information was provided. There were many interesting questions presented, and I’d like to address two topics raised in some detail.

You don’t have to be a drug seeker to be drug addicted.

Here’s a point many chronic pain patients don’t think about that emergency room (ER) staffs have to. Even if you’re not a drug seeker, you can still be physiologically addicted to drugs. Of course your ER physician cares about your mental intent, but s/he has to be cognizant of the possibility or reality that your body might be addicted. One reason this is especially relevant is the development of tolerance, which is an important sign of addiction.

Specifically, tolerance is the phenomenon by which those physiologically addicted to a substance don’t get the same effect by giving what had previously been an effective dose.

So what? This means over time you will require increasing amounts to get an effective amount of relief (i.e. equivalent to previous effects).

So… as a patient suffering from pain, you’re focusing on the fact that you’re not relieved of your pain. Your ER staff is focused on the reality that increasing amounts of certain pain medications (i.e. narcotics) come with increasing amounts of side effects, more notably respiratory depression, meaning a high enough dose can knock out your ability to breath and will kill you. This is a major reason why there are limits as to the amounts and frequency of what will be given to you in an ER setting. Once you’ve been given a certain amount, many physicians will simple stop giving additional amounts regardless as to how you feel – unless we are able to specifically discuss your cases with your primary or pain management physician, who may explain your circumstance and help decide if additionally amounts are needed. This also explains why you’re more likely to get “better” treatment during regular business hours than in the middle of the night; those conversations with other members of the team are important.

The allergy vs. adverse drug reaction question:

In a previous post, I commented on patients equating preference or side effects with allergies, and several readers have asked for clarification (e.g. “Why isn’t that side effect the same as an allergy?). An example that relates to pain is some patients’ preference of various narcotics. For some, morphine routinely makes many people itch. This is an expected side effect and is not the same as an allergic reaction. Morphine also makes some patients feel “bleh,” especially when compared with such medicinal options as Dilaudid or Demerol which are more “happy drugs.”

Even so, these drugs have different effects that would make a physician choose one over the other. For example, morphine is actually a drug of choice for pain exacerbations associated with sickle cell anemia due to its effects at the cellular level, so in many cases, physician will prefer to use morphine despite patient preference. In any event, your job is simply to have the conversation with your physician. Don’t claim an allergy if one doesn’t exist; simply discuss the reasons why one medication seems to work better than the other. You likely will find a much more receptive audience taking this approach.

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.

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The post Your Questions About Chronic Pain and Management appeared first on Jeffrey Sterling, MD.

The notion of a pain awareness month is an odd thing; probably even more so to those suffering from chronic pain. Typically the idea with these periods of recognizing diseases and conditions is to create sensitivity among the general public toward one’s condition. In this and the next Straight, No Chaser, we will not only do that but will build upon that and provide those sufferers of chronic pain some better tools to make those emergency room visits more productive.

I’d begin by asking you to get more in touch with your “you sensitivity” and learn to differentiate between different types of pain. It’s important for you to know the difference.

• Clearly there’s acute pain from injury. You break a jaw or twist an ankle, you’re going to hurt.
• There’s acute exacerbations of pain from disease. You have sickle cell anemia? Cancer? Lupus? Sciatica or other low back pain? Arthritis? Migraines? You will have acute flare ups.

Then there’s chronic pain. Remember, sometimes pain happens without injury or disease. Pain is simply a signal communicated from your body to you through your brain. Acute pain is normal and is meant to alert you to somehow protect yourself or get help. Chronic pain is different. Those signals coming from your nervous system can be sporadic or haphazard, and they may be more reflective of dysfunction within the nervous system than a disease or injury. It can even be psychogenic (due to matters of your mind). Regardless of the cause, chronic pain is well, a pain.

There are many established conditions that cause chronic pain, such as the following:

• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Endometriosis
• Fibromyalgia
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Interstitial cystitis
• Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ syndrome)
• Vulvodynia

Maybe the point of this post isn’t to tell those of you who suffer from chronic pain things you don’t already know as much as it is to organize your thoughts and approach to your pain. After all, it’s not like there are cures for chronic pain besides eliminating the underlying condition (which reminds me to remind you not to fall for the many medical scams promising instant and permanent relief to these medical conditions). The first step really is to help you appreciate the need for becoming better sensitized to your condition.

Many patients with chronic pain suffer horrible outcomes because they become desensitized to pain, learn to ignore it, and misinterpret a new, unrelated pain condition (maybe with a few similarities), failing to get evaluated before it is too late.

If you suffer from chronic pain, it’s key to know the things you can do to improve your quality of life. Strengthening your mind to reduce stress and avoid fixating on your medical condition is very important. Learning to relax actually is treatment; your body has pain-reducing chemicals, including those that directly treat pain and promote healing, and others that prevent release of internal pain producers. Find someone with whom you can discuss relaxation and stress reduction.

Engage the fight to get better within your physical limitations.

• Exercise remains key. Depending on your situation, walking, running, biking and/or swimming can dramatically improve your situation. Be advised that the extremes (not exercising at all or doing so too much) can actually worsen the situation.
• Stretching and strengthening similarly produce benefits to those with chronic pain. This should sound like a good reason to become involved with a personal trainer or have a physical therapist.
• Regular sleep and avoidance of nicotine (stop smoking!) will also help.

Your physician may discuss multiple other possible treatment modalities, such as the following:

• Acupuncture
• Behavioral therapy can reduce your pain and decrease your stress through methods that help you relax, such as meditation, tai chi, and yoga. Give it a try. It works for many people.
• Brain stimulation therapy
• Local electrical stimulation
• Occupational therapy teaches you how to perform routine activities of daily living in a way that reduces your pain and/or avoids reinjuring yourself.
• Osteopathic manipulation therapy (OMT)
• Psychotherapy

Regarding medication, for many people use of medication (especially narcotics) becomes a crutch and a slippery slope. Over the counter medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen are quite effective for many causes of pain. Use of narcotics should be measured and part of an overall plan, not a tool for a quick fix or to get you out of your doctor’s face. It is part of reality that even if you are not a drug-seeking patient, with enough exposure to narcotics you will develop tolerance (less effectiveness at the same dose) and become addicted. You should want to avoid this fate.

The pain, mental duress and reduction in quality of life associated with chronic pain can be lessened with you learning how to approach and understand your pain, taking appropriate steps to reduce things you do to exacerbate the pain, increasing the things you do to lessen the pain, and working with your health care team to provide you with appropriate support and treatment.

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.

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The post Chronic Pain – What You and Your Physicians Can Do To Really Help appeared first on Jeffrey Sterling, MD.

Previously, Straight, No Chaser has discussed the frustration of uncertainty some patients have with having symptoms and not being given a diagnosis (much less a cure). Imagine if that uncertainty arose in the context of excruciating pain lasting for what seems like all day. There was a time when this was the case to a much greater extent, and then several medical conditions gained recognition and/or prominence. Some of these include chronic pain syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ syndrome), endometriosis, inflammatory bowel disorder, vaginismus, vulvodynia and still other conditions. Today we will address one such condition, fibromyalgia.

The symptoms of fibromyalgia include muscle pain and fatigue. This pain may take one of several typical forms, including headaches, painful menstrual periods and – most interestingly – “tender points.” Tender points are specific places on the body that hurt when you apply pressure. These can occur most anywhere but usually involve the extremities, neck, back, hips and shoulders. Other symptoms include numbness and tingling in your hands and feet, difficulty sleeping and morning stiffness. In some cases a condition called “fibro fog” occurs, in which clouding of thinking and memory occurs. It shouldn’t be a surprise that these other symptoms often result in clinical depression.

Unfortunately, fibromyalgia is a condition, not a disease that we can attach to a specific cause. However, there are several diseases to which fibromyalgia has been linked. In short, many stressful life conditions and events can serve as triggers for this disorder. Some of the more notable conditions and triggers include ankylosing spondylitis (aka spinal arthritis), motor vehicle crashes, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (aka lupus). So many such triggers exists that now over 5 million Americans have been labeled with the diagnosis. Interesting, 80-90% of those so diagnosed are women, most during middle age.

Given the absence of an identified cause, treatment is mostly symptomatic, attempting to address the pain and other things that disrupt one’s activities of daily living. More importantly, once affected, you need to implement the lifestyle changes that have been shown to help, including improving diet, exercise, getting enough sleep, changing one’s work and home environments, and taking medications as prescribed.

I would be remiss if I didn’t address the controversies surrounding fibromyalgia. Given the absence of a defined cause, many patients suffering from fibromyalgia and similar disorders are often perceived to be drug seeking, particularly in emergency departments. It is very frustrating for physicians to care for patients they can’t “fix.” Although drug seeking patients do exist, multiple medical studies have shown that inadequate treatment of pain remains one of the great faux pas of medicine. It is an equal disservice to give in to a patient’s request for pain medication as a routine matter without the benefit of a full evaluation. There are many defined medical conditions that present with pain. More deliberate and vigorous evaluations can not only put a more definitive name to the pain but can lead to better outcomes for those patients.

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.

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The post Fibromyalgia – Facts and Controversies appeared first on Jeffrey Sterling, MD.

You are likely aware that the ovaries produce a women’s eggs as well as being the main source of the female’s sex hormones. Ovarian cancer is not the most common gynecological cancer. In fact, it only causes approximately 3% of cancers in women. However, it’s an important one to know because it causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. It is impossible to do justice to ovarian cancer in one blog, so this Straight, No Chaser will feature frequently asked questions on the topic.

How serious is ovarian cancer?

Very. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), in 2018 the following is expected:

• Approximately 22, 240 new cases of ovarian cancer
• Approximately 14,070 deaths from ovarian cancer

The lifetime risk of dying from invasive ovarian cancer is about 1 in 108.

Who is relatively more likely to obtain ovarian cancer?

• Ovarian cancer is more common in whites than African-Americans.
• Approximately half of those diagnosed are 63 years or older.

What increases the risk of developing ovarian cancer?

Factors linked to an increase in ovarian cancer risk include the following:

• Increasing age, particularly after menopause
• Obesity
• Breast cancer (those with or have had breast cancer also have a higher risk of ovarian cancer)
• Family history of ovarian cancer
• Family history of breast or colorectal cancer

Do any actions reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer?
This needs to be discussed with your physician, as your individual circumstance has a lot to do with actions you can take to lower your risk. That said, general factors linked to a lower risk of ovarian cancer include the following:

• Consuming a low-fat diet
• Having been pregnant
• Having had a hysterectomy (i.e. uterine removal) without removing the ovaries
• Having had a tubal ligation (i.e. having had your “tubes tied”)
• Having engaged in breastfeeding
• Use of birth control pills
• Use of the contraceptive injection depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA or Depo-Provera CI®)

Can ovarian cancer be found early? Are there screening tests?
Only about 20% of ovarian cancers are found at an early stage. Those that do find it early have an improved chance of successful treatment. About 9 out of 10 women treated for early ovarian cancer will live longer than 5 years after the cancer is found. The best way to find ovarian cancer is to have regular women’s health exams and to see the doctor if you have symptoms. So far, no screening tests have been shown to lower the risk of dying from ovarian cancer, therefore no tests are recommended.

What are the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer?

Two of the issues in detecting ovarian cancer are symptoms often aren’t present early in the cancer process, and even when symptoms occur, they are easily confused with symptoms more often caused by other things. It’s reasonable to suggest to you that routine evaluation for problems in your gynecological system, particularly those that make you feel different than normal and/or are persistent should prompt an evaluation by a physician.

The most common symptoms are:

• Abdominal or pelvic pain
• Abdominal swelling or bloating
• Difficulty eating and/or a quick sensation of feeling full while eating
• Frequent and/or urgent urination

Other symptoms can include:

• Abdominal swelling that is accompanied by weight loss
• Back pain
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Menstrual changes
• Painful sexual intercourse
• Upset stomach

If you have any of these problems, talk to your doctor so that the cause can be found.
Diagnosis, treatment, staging and recovery considerations are discussed at www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com.

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.
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The post Ovarian Cancer – Frequently Asked Questions appeared first on Jeffrey Sterling, MD.

It’s time to get your flu shots! Of course, many people choose not to get the influenza vaccine (the “flu shot”) for various reasons, some more reasonable than others (including an allergy to eggs). This Straight, No Chaser reviews some of the better options left for you should you choose not to get vaccinated.

The best way to avoid the flu is prevention. Consider adopting these healthy habits before you ever get exposed:

• Wash your hands frequently with warm soapy water. You know when they’re dirty. Most certainly wash your hands before you use them to eat or put anything else in your mouth.
• If you can’t wash your hands, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• If your hands are dirty and neither soap nor sanitizer is available, still rinse and dry your hands with warm water if you can.
• Use disinfectant to clean surfaces.
• Avoid unnecessarily touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Politely limit close contact with people who are ill, coughing and sneezing.
• When coughing or sneezing use the bend of your elbow or a facial tissue to help cover your nose and mouth. Learn to avoid coughing or sneezing into your hands.
• When you become sick, stay home. It’s the proper thing to do to avoid spreading your infection to others.

Vitamin C, echinacea and zinc have long been touted to prevent colds and influenza. There are no studies confirming or refuting this claim. Despite assurances that these and other herbal medicines are safe alternatives because they’re “natural”, the active ingredients in them are the same as found in certain prescription medicines. Thus they too may interact with other medications and worsen certain medical conditions. Given this, you should discuss your use of supplements with your physician or pharmacist prior to use.

Another level of defense for you involves use of certain antiviral prescription medications. If you are exposed to someone (e.g. a family member) with influenza, and especially if you begin having flu-like symptoms, immediately contact your physician to discuss taking medicines to prevent catching the flu. Such medications include Tamiflu® (generic name: oseltamivir), Relenza® (generic name: zanamivir), Flumadine® (generic name: rimantadine) and Symmetrel® (generic name: amantadine). If you make the request more than 24-48 hours after the onset of symptoms, you likely won’t be given the medication, since it isn’t likely to be effective outside of this time frame.

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

The post Flu Prevention appeared first on Jeffrey Sterling, MD.