Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates Are Still Low

Colorectal screening rates are still low.  A new study looked at surveys of 13,480 adults aged 50 and older and they found that only 50% had been screened for colon cancer in 2005.  That was an improvement from 43% in 2000, but the authors say the rate needs to increase even more because screening tests have been proven to reduce deaths from the disease.  One of the factors involved may be health insurance coverage.  Of those who are uninsured, only 24.1% were screened compared with more than 50% of the insured.  Other factors that influence the screening rate are education, income, and frequency of physician contract.  The bottom line is this...we strongly recommend colonoscopy as a screening tool.  We know it's embarrassing; we know you're afraid of it, but the bottom line is it's a lot easier to deal with than colon cancer. 

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Toys and Safety Hazards

Toys can come from parents or well-meaning family members, but one of the things you have to be realizing is that they can be dangerous. The most important thing to look for are small parts that can break off or easily detach, that they can become a choking hazard. Another cause for concern are pointy objects that can be part of a toy. Another leading cause of problems with young children is a string or a rope. It can also be a choking hazard. The tricky part is that many dangerous parts are not easy to find. You really have to look over toys and be very careful.

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Reducing Heartburn Pain

Heartburn is very frustrating because one of the problems is it is hard to distinguish from actual heart pain. The thing about heartburn that you have to realize is there are certain things that make heartburn worse; acid, alcohol, caffeine, tobacco. All of those things will build up stomach acid, and as they do, it can make that heartburn worse. One of the things I believe that’s very important in dealing with heartburn is you also elevate the head of the bed. If you go to bed, make sure you actually have your head a little higher. Gravity will help you deal with it. That certainly will help with the symptoms.

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Bacterial vs. Viral Throat Infections

Throat infections occur quite a bit and they do occur commonly.  When we look at someone with a throat infection, we try to find out if there some underlying etiology to be concerned about; for instance, strep is a bacteria which can cause a throat infection.  If it's a virus as a cause, physicians don't get nearly quite concerned because we know that with gargling and with watching the temperature you can make a big difference.  It's when people actually are in a situation where they have serious throat infections with bacterial origins that can be a concern. 

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Preterm Delivery May Be Linked to Depression

A study of approximately 800 pregnant women found that their risk of preterm delivery was higher if they were depressed and it increased with the severity of their depressive symptoms.  Women with severe depression had more than twice the risk of delivering their babies preterm compared to their non-depressed peers.  Ninety-eight percent of women were not taking antidepressants.  Preterm delivery was defined as less than 36 weeks gestation.  It's the leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity.  The women's mental status was determined in points ten weeks into their pregnancy.

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People Can Be Allergic to Sunlight

There are rare people who are allergic to sunlight. Again, this is a very rare case, but it’s something that is worth mentioning. Some people are allergic to sunlight in the sense that they’re more likely to burn. But, in cases where there are severe sunlight problems, people can actually have DNA issues associated with it. On a more simple level, however, if you’re someone who goes out in the sun and gets burned regularly, you may not have an allergy. You may just have a sensitivity, but down the road, that can cause long-term skin damage.

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Fever Phobia

Do you have fever phobia?  The American Academy of Pediatrics says this is a problem in this country.  Fever is one of the most common clinical symptoms in children.  Certainly, if the temperature is elevated, it can be a warning sign there are other problems.  The fever is really the body's way to fight infection and sometimes a low-grade fever is not a bad thing.  However, due to advertising and the ready availability of many medications to control fever, there are patients who will turn to medicine every time a temperature is over 99.5 and that is a mistake. 

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