Testing It Up

Despite the recent recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a majority of American women reportedly still believe in getting mammograms using the existing guidelines that are currently being followed.

This conclusion was drawn based on the results of a survey conducted by USA Today and Gallup, the results of which were revealed through a feature on USAToday.com. The survey consists of 1,136 women respondents, and revealed that a total of 76% of this representative population Disagree or Strongly Disagree to the recommendations of the USPSTF.

One of our readers, Cindy, also made her sentiments very clear and expressed displeasure over the recommendations.

Among the concerns that women had regarding the new recommendations is that delaying mammograms may place their lives in danger. Most women who responded to the survey reportedly intend to get mammograms before they turn 50, adhering to the recommendations set forth by the American Cancer Society.

The poll also showed, however, that women still make decisions based on preconceived notions that may need to be corrected. For instance, a majority of the respondents reportedly were under the impression that the USPSTF based their recommendations solely on cost, which is untrue. The fact that this recommendation was released at a time when health insurance coverage is a hot topic may have fuelled this belief.

Also, almost half of the respondents believed that the risk of women in their 40s for developing breast cancer is extremely higher that in actually is.

While we do understand the strong reactions of some women over these recommendations, it may be to everyone’s best interest to exercise due diligence in educating one’s self about the disease. Whether it’s the American Cancer Society or USPSTF that is making the recommendation, ultimately, a woman’s body is her own and she should have the right to take care of it as she sees fit. What is important for a woman is to work closely with her physician, revealing pertinent family medical histories and lifestyles and other information that may serve as guidelines towards assessing one’s medical needs.

In a previous post, we shared with you two of the six warning signs that one should not ignore, as featured on WebMD. We now share with you more of the symptoms that one should not dismiss right away.

Tenderness and pain in the back of your lower leg, chest pain, shortness of breath, or coughing up blood.

What these symptoms point to is a potentially dangerous blood clot in the leg, a condition that may arise out of being in the sitting position for an extended period of time. This may happen when one is traveling, either on a plane or in a car when on a road trip. The reason behind this is that sitting or lying down for long periods of time can cause blood to pool in the legs.

If a blood clot does form, the calf can feel swollen, painful and tender to the touch; a medical evaluation is in order. There is also a possibility for a piece of the blood clot to break off and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs; this can cause sudden chest pain or shortness of breath, Such an occurrence merits immediate medical attention and should warrant a trip to the emergency room as soon as possible.

Blood in the urine without accompanying pain.

Blood in the urine is never okay, even if there is no pain involved – unless, of course, we are talking about that which may occur during a woman’s menstrual cycle.

Blood in the urine is the most common symptom for kidney stones or infection in the bladder or prostate, but if blood is caused by these conditions, it is usually accompanied by pain.

The appearance of blood in one’s urine that is not accompanied by pain may point to the early onset cancer of the kidney, ureter, bladder or prostate. These cancers, which are small enough to be curable, can cause bleeding into the urinary tract but may not cause pain. Bringing such an occurrence to the attention of your physician may be one’s only clue and result in the early detection of these conditions.

The week ended at a rather optimistic note as far as swine flu is concerned. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are now 43 states compared to the previous week’s count of 46 that have widespread flu activity. The difference is slight and the statistics, if compared with previous years, are still rather high, according to director for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases Dr. Anne Schuchat. To that we say, though, the a slight improvement is certainly way better than none at all.

The CDC, in addition to monitoring swine flu since it first appeared in April, is also constantly working towards raising awareness. With the expected influx of travelers this Thanksgiving weekend, the Center has launched yet another public awareness campaign to ensure that travelers are kept safe and that the increase in travel will not necessarily mean an increase in the spread of the flu – both the H1N1 and seasonal variants.

The things that the CDC would like to remind people with the intent to travel over the holidays are simple. Among them is the basic reminder to travel only when one is well. As always, people are enjoined to wash their hands (often and properly), to cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and to do so into a tissue to be disposed of immediately or into one’s sleeve, and to get vaccinated if one is considered as among those who should be prioritized for the vaccine.

Getting to those vaccines will no longer be that much of a problem, as more vaccines have now become available. Across America a total of 54.1 million doses of H1N1 vaccine have reportedly been ordered, which is 11 million more than what states were able to order in the previous week, according to Shuchat.

We have been rather vocal about advocating temperance and moderation, and here is yet another example on why that is important. A WebMD feature shares several practices that may be healthy – as long as they are not overdone – and the consequences of taking things a little too far.

The first couple of things mentioned involved two of the practices that health buffs indulge in: eating “wholesome” food and working out. The former is good for people, but as in any kind of food, overeating may eventually “make you fat and prone to illness.” Exercise, when overdone, can lead to “injury and fatigue.”

And then there are others. Obsessed about keeping your kitchen spotless? A dish cloth and damp sponge may be a staple in your kitchen. Using them and then leaving them for use another time, while cleaning your countertop or sink on the surface, may actually increase you and your family’s exposure to such elements as E. coli, salmonella and other such disease-causing microbes. The feature’s suggestion is to microwave the damp sponge or cloth for a minute each day to kill bacteria.

There is also a surprising health habit that can go awry – drinking water. A lot of us are familiar about the dangers that dehydration can bring, but few probably know about hyponatremia. This condition, which is brought about by excessive intake of water or drinking more than what the body needs, can reportedly lead to dangerous drop in the concentration of sodium in the bloodstream. This can cause fatigue, headache, nausea and vomiting.

Taking vitamin supplements can help ward off certain diseases, but that does not mean that we should go around gulping excessive quantities and expect that to increase our protection “coverage”. Au contraire, overdosing in vitamin supplements can actually cause serious health problems. The example given in the feature was going overboard on vitamin A, which can reportedly cause nausea, diarrhea, rashes and metabolic disturbances.

It is no longer enough to assume that children are safe from the dangers of drugs in certain places, such as schools. The only absolute way to be sure that your child is not into drugs is to have them undergo a test. We borrow a quote from a report on wpix.com that urges parents to be vigilant in as far as ensuring that their children are drug-free: do not guess – test!

The report shared how a janitor at a high school in Plainview, New York, was arrested for possessing heroin that had been packaged to be sold. The police reportedly recovered 50 packets of heroin, with the packets stamped with the words My Space, from the suspect.

As this incident was made known to the general public, the District Attorney for Suffolk County, Thomas Spota, announced that there were plans to distribute drug testing kits to parents for free. The drive will hopefully encourage parents to take an active part in determining the extent of their children’s involvement in substance abuse. County Sheriff Vincent DeMarco also commented that they will assist parents in ensuring that parents are equipped with the tools and the resources that they need to protect their children.

The source of funding for the free drug testing kits is also rather appropriate; the funds were taken from money seized from busted drug dealers. These drug testing kits will have the ability to test for heroin, cocaine, marijuana and other illegal substances.

There are concerns, however, that a majority of young people will find the forced drug testing intrusive. While this may be true for some, there are teenagers out there who are more than willing to prove that they are not on anything and are open about their activities.

More than just that, however, parents should also constantly work towards maintaining an open and loving relationship with their children. This, by far, is probably the best deterrent against young people going down that dangerous road filled with illegal substance abuse.

New York Drug Screening

The quest for the right diet towards achieving one’s weight loss goals is like searching for The One; you are most likely going to encounter a few that will not quite work out before finding the right one for you.

In a previous post we shared with you the diets that simply won’t work. This time around, we will be sharing with you tips from Dawn Jackson-Blatner, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA), on finding the right diet plan for you as featured on WebMD.

The first thing that one should remember is that there is no catch-all diet plan that works for everyone. In as much as every person is unique, the fact that a person’s needs – dietary requirements included – will vary from every individual is a natural thing that will follow. Hence, it is to one’s advantage that a diet plan should be drawn up and customized especially for you. This also means that the miracle diet that the lady two cubicles down from you at the office swears by may not exactly work the same way for you.

Also stick to this guideline: it should be simple and realistic enough for you to stick with long-term. It is for this reason that Blatner said that the diet that works may not necessarily refer to a “special diet” at all; it may mean simply tweaking your current diet here and there in order to make it healthier. The focus, as we have mentioned quite a number of times before, should be on “balance, variety and moderation.”

Blatner shared three basic steps in coming up with the right diet plan. The first step is to think about one’s current lifestyle and identify your “weakest links” as far as diet is concerned. Things such as being a sweet tooth and the tendency to snack all day long are examples. Knowing what these factors are will help you in formulating a diet strategy. There are instances when the strategy will not necessarily involve changing your diet; if stress is what causes you to overeat, for instance, then going on a stress management program may be the more appropriate option.

Next is to identify one to three small changes that one can realistically make to one’s diet and exercise routines immediately. These changes will not give you the results you want overnight, but the goal is to arrive at a plan that is “safe, effective and sustainable”.

After a few weeks of sticking with these small changes, reassess and see whether changes have occurred; it is at this point when you may want to think of adding a couple more changes. Twelve weeks is when one will start to see progress, so this is about the right time for one to make a few more adjustments.

When one is so focused on a particular task or having so much fun, it can be very easy to ignore symptoms or sensations that one’s body is giving out. While a lot of the things we feel may be easily dismissed as something benign, there are certain sensations that should trigger alarm bells. The ability to discern which ones are critical and being able to call for help in a timely manner may literally be what separates life from death.

WebMD lists six of these serious symptoms that should not be taken lightly. These symptoms, when they happen to you or to someone you are with, merit an immediate call to 911.

Paralysis of the arms or legs, tingling, numbness, confusion, dizziness, double vision, slurred speech, trouble finding words, or weakness, especially on one side of the face or body.

These set of symptoms are the classic warning signs for stroke; if heart attack is to the heart, then one may think of the stroke as a “brain attack”. Strokes are caused by blockage or rupture in the arteries that supply oxygen to the brain. As a result, the brain tissue may die.

The symptoms that a person may experience will depend on the area of the brain that is involved. Timing is critical when it comes to strokes, as the timing of the treatment has the ability to stop the death of brain tissue before permanent injury to the brain occurs. There is always the possibility of total recovery even after a stroke, provided that the appropriate treatment is administered at the right moment.

Chest pain or discomfort; pain in the arm, jaw, or neck; breaking out in a cold sweat; extreme weakness; nausea; vomiting; feeling faint; or being short of breath.

These set of symptoms are signs that one may be having a heart attack. Chest pain or pressure are easily distinguishable; however, it is entirely possible that someone having a heart attack will not experience pain, so it is important to be familiar with other warning signs as well, such as feeling extremely weak and having a sudden onset of dizziness, as well shortness of breath.

The WebMD feature recommends immediately heading off to the emergency room in an ambulance. Doctors quoted in the feature also recommend that patients chew one regular full-strength aspirin in order to prevent damage to the heart muscle, provided, of course, that one is not allergic to aspirin.

Because of the rather sensitive circumstances that may lead towards being infected by the HIV virus, some people may find the ability to perform an HIV test in the comfort and privacy of their home the more preferable way. Luckily, there are such home test kits that are already available in the market nowadays.

OraSure Technologies, a company that “develops, manufactures and markets oral fluid specimen collection devices using proprietary fluid technologies, diagnostic products including immunoassays and other in vitro diagnostic tests, and other medical devices,” recently announced through a press release featured on CNN Money that it had participated in a meeting conducted by the Blood Products Advisory Committee (BPAC).

The November 17th meeting included a discussion on “the public need and performance characteristics for the over the counter home use HIV test kits.” BPAC is a group that advices the FDA when the “safety and medical effectiveness of biological products and medical devices” are concerned. Also presented was the view of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the role that these home-based HIV test kits play, as well as the risks and benefits that may be associated with their use.

OraSure was among those who participated in a closed session with the BPAC, during which time OraSure reviewed findings that resulted from clinical studies that it had been conducting with its OraQuick HIV OTC test. Additional clinical work that will be required towards receiving FDA approval was also discussed during the meeting. Feedback received from the meeting will be used as basis for the company’s efforts towards securing FDA approval for OraQuick.

It seems like the swine flu saga may be far from over, as cases have been cropping up around the world of swine flu strains that seem to be resistant to the drugs that are currently being administered to fight it.

In the state of North Carolina, four such cases have been confirmed at the Duke University Medical Center. The virus seems to be resistant to Tamiflu, one of the drugs used to treat severe cases of swine flu.

Across the Atlantic in London, British health officials are also currently investigating how a drug-resistant strain of swine flu is spreading from person to person. Five such cases of patients who are infected with a virus that is resistant to Tamiflu have been confirmed in Wales, as reported by the Health Protection Agency in the UK.

There were also four other patients who were infected with H1N1 in the UK that had the same genetic mutation, although one of them was helped with Tamiflu while the rest seem to have responded to the other medication used to treat swine flu – Relenza.

What the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are looking into now is the fact that these occurrences may be an indication that the H1N1 virus is mutating. The CDC has since launched an investigation into these findings.

The four cases identified at the Duke University Medical Center reportedly involve patients who were very ill at the onset. The patients reportedly may have caught the virus in a cancer unit and three of them have already died.

The British Health Protection Agency reportedly said in a statement, however, that at present they “believe that the risk to the general healthy population is low.”

Another investigation is also being done, this time by the World Health Organization, in Norway. There are reportedly variant swine flu cases there that have been linked to two deaths and one severe case in the country.

This woman on a video featured on ABC News deserves both a commendation and a citation.

A 911 dispatcher in Wisconsin received a really interesting call from a woman reporting a drunk driver. There are signs on freeways urging people to call 911 to report drunk drivers that may be sharing the road with them in order to prevent potentially fatal car crashes, and this woman heeded that advice. Only she was not merely sharing the road with a drunk driver; she was the drunk driver.

Mary Strey of Wisconsin reached a dispatcher on Clark Country 911 and said “Somebody’s really drunk driving down Granton Road”. The dispatcher proceeded to ask her which way the drunk driver was going, whether it was towards Granton or towards Neillsville, and she simply responded that the driver was proceeding towards Granton.

It was when the dispatcher asked whether she was following the drunk or if the drunk was behind her when she said, “I am them”; the dispatcher seems to have been caught unaware as he paused for a bit before clarifying what he just heard by asking, “So you want to call in and report that you’re driving drunk?” to which Strey responded, “Yes.”

She was asked by the dispatcher to pull over and wait for police, and she did so. A field sobriety test confirmed that she was, indeed, drunk, and she was eventually arrested for DUI.

It was a good gesture, and created quite an interesting news report – but what would have been better is if she had not gotten behind a wheel in the first place. It was rather good, though, that she seems to have realized her mistake and called in for help. Once you’re drunk and your decision-making abilities are compromised, it can be easy to think that you are well enough to drive home even if you weren’t.

Moral of the story is – if you were to go somewhere where there may be a bit of drinking and you would like to oblige, then make sure that there is someone else who can drive for you. If you know that there’s no one available, then don’t drink at all.