healthbeat: mpmc: jan. 23, 2013

A1 HB 1Q12 6-TABA1 HB 1Q13

In t o d a y ’ s h e c t i c world, we have so much to take care

of that we sometimes forget to take care of a ver y impor tant thing — our own hea l th . W i th tha t in mind , Four County Primar y Care is pleased to offer extended of fice hours Monday-Thursday from 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m., with regular of fice hours on Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

The Four County Pri-mar y Care physician team consists of Dr. John Faulkner, Dr. Gary Smith and Dr. Patricia Smith. While some phy-sician of fices that of fer extended care utilize a physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner, this facility will offer a medi-cal doctor to see patients during the additional hours.

The pr imar y care provider is one of seven p h y s i c i a n p r a c t i c e s owned by Maria Parham Medical Center, a Duke LifePoint Hospital. It is committed to providing

high quality, compas-sionate, comprehensive and cost-effective health care to all members of your family, from new-bor n to seniors. The primary care team rec-ognizes the importance of open communica -tion, trust and respect between patients and their physicians, and encourage the develop-ment of a relationship that promotes patient par ticipation in their health care decisions.

Four County Primary Care to offer extended

hours, beginning in February

Dr. Patricia Smith

BY DIANA E. DESAI, MDMARIA PARHAM

ENDOCRINOLOGY

Th e t h y r o i d influences many d i f fer entabody

o r g a n s y s t e m s , including regulation of your metabolism — the rate at which your body turns food into energy. Thyroid hormone helps c o n t r o l y o u r b o d y temperature, appetite, mood, and hear t rate. It can also af fect the smoothness of your skin, strength of your muscles, and texture of your hair.

The thyroid gland lies in the lower neck just beneath the skin. It makes and releases thyroid hormone into the bloodstream. When the amount of thyroid hormone in the blood is too high or too low, you may develop the condi-tions of hyper thyroid-ism or hypothyroidism, respectively. Abnor-malities of the thyroid occur more often in females than in males.

Hyper thyr o id ism, w h e n t h y r o i d h o r -mone levels are too high, can be associated with symptoms such as weight loss despite incr eased appe t i te , increased energy, pal-pitations (hear t rac-ing), tremor, diarrhea, anxiety/ner vousness, insomnia (di f f icul ty

sleeping), excessive sweat ing , and heat intolerance. Some peo-ple may also experi-ence bulging, dry, itchy eyes or an enlarged or tender thyroid gland.

T h r e e c o m m o n causes of hyperthyroid-ism are: 1) Graves’ dis-ease: an autoimmune condition in which your own body’s antibodies

stimulate the thyroid to make more hormone; 2) Toxic nodular goiter: benign tumors in the thyroid begin overpro-ducing hormone; and 3) Thyroiditis: inflam-mation of the thyroid, often after an illness, causing the gland to temporar i ly re lease more hormone.

H y p o t h y r o i d i s m ,

when the thyroid pro-duces too little hor-mone, can be associ-ated with symptoms such as fatigue, feeling cold, muscle cramping/aching, constipation, depr ess ion , we ight gain, hoarse voice, dry skin , coarse/bri t t le hair. Some people may

SEE THYROID/PAGE 11

January is Thyroid Awareness Month

Dr. Diana E. Desai checks a patient to determine if she has developed abnormalities in her thyroid gland. These abnormalities occur more often in females than in males.

Maria Parham HealthbeatA publication of Maria Parham Medical Center and The Daily Dispatch January 23, 2013

2 The Daily DispaTch HealthBeat WeDnesDay, January 23, 2013

Hearing damage f r o m n o i s e i s ver y ins idious.

The hearing loss takes place so gradually that a great deal of damage can be done before it is noticed and a person begins using protective measures. Protecting your hearing is a life-long process. Damage done in early life stays with you forever!

Any hearing loss is important. Even what is considered a mild hearing loss of 20 decibels makes it much more difficult to understand conversations, especially in a crowd.

Protecting your

hearing merely takes a little care and common sense. Here are some ways to help protect your ears.

Several different kinds of ear protectors are available. The simplest ones are small sponge-like plugs that are compressed and inserted into the ear canal where they re-expand to fill the canal. There are several types of these simple plugs. They are inexpensive, easy to use, and disposable. Always keep a supply on hand.

Ear molds are another type of plug that are specially fitted for a person and work well to decrease the intensity

of sound. They are most useful for low frequency noise. The molds are made from forms taken of your ear and ear canal by an audiologist.

A third kind of protection for the ears is an earmuff. This covers the whole ear and is very protective, especially for high frequency noise. They are most useful around airplane traffic, chainsaws, and other machinery. Ear plugs and earmuffs used together give maximum protection.

Avoid excessive noise whenever possible, but when you can’t, be sure to use some form of ear protection.

Talk to your doctor

if you have question about your hearing. For help finding a physician

in this area, call Maria Parham Medical Center at (252) 436-1800 or

visit mariaparham.com for a listing of medical providers.

A2 HEALTHBEAT

Henderson, NC 27536Phone: 252-492-2161

Warrenton, NC 27589Phone: 252-257-6213

Louisburg, NC 27549Phone: 919-340-0283

J.E. Kenny, MDF.C. Aniekwensi, MD

S.E. Reed, PA-CW.M. Davis, PA-C

L.A. Tharrington, MSN, ANP-CElsa Bagnulo, NP

Beckford Medical Centers

252-492-70211245 Park Ave., Henderson, NC

Kerr Lake Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Voted Best Nursing Home in Vance County for 7 years!

There are many ways to protect your hearing

Protecting your hearing merely takes a little care and common sense. Moreover, it’s a life-long process.

The Daily DispaTch HealthBeat TuesDay, January 23, 2013 3

The snow is here and the roads are getting icier. It

is time to put a winter survival kit in the back seat of your car in case you have an accident, get stranded or come across someone who needs help. It should be kept in the back seat if possible, since it can be more dif ficult or even impossible to get it out of the tr unk after an accident.

You could fill your car with things that could be used in an emergency, but select-ing a few of the most i m p o r t a n t i t e m s i s wor thwhile for anyone who will be driving on winter roads.

E s s e n t i a l i t e m s include:

1 ) D r y m i t t e n s , g l o v e s , h e a d g e a r , clothes

2) Flashlights, flares, candles

3) Blankets/sleeping bags

4) Candy bars/non-perishable foods

5) Waterproof match-es, knife/hatchet

6) 3 pound metal cof-fee can with cover for melting water

7) Plastic garbage bags (for windbreaks or containers)

8) Shovel, sand, rope9) Road map, com-

pass10) F i rs t a id k i t ,

paper towels, tissuesIf you do have an

accident which leaves you stranded in win-ter weather, remain calm, keep dr y, con-serve your energy, and wait for help to come. It is usually safer to stay with your vehicle, which provides a shel-ter and something easy for rescuers to spot, than to try to walk out of a snowstorm. If you run the car’s motor, do so at intervals and keep adequate ventilation at all times to prevent car-bon monoxide poison-ing.

A3 HEALTHBEAT

HENDERSON FAMILY DENTISTRY

Comprehensive Dentistry for the Whole Family

Latest in Dental Diagnostic Technology Digital X-Rays • Intraoral Camera

Laser Cavity Detection• Preventative & Restorative Care• Root Canals & Extractions• Gum Disease Therapy• Crowns & Bridges

• Partials & Dentures• Tooth-Colored Fillings• Teeth Whitening• Implants

Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm Some Saturdays

560 Dabney Drive, Suite C • Henderson, NC 27536

Phone: 252-492-6004 • Fax: 252-492-9517

We Accept Most Insurance NC Health Choice • Medicaid

Insurance Filed

New Patients and Emergencies are Welcome.

• Walk-in Clinic• Pediatrics• OB/GYN• Adults/Geriatrics• Sports Medicine• Occupational Medicine

381 Ruin Creek Road • Henderson, NC 27536252-430-0666 • 252-430-7503

Mon.-Th urs. 8:00am-8:00pm, Fri.-Sun. 8:00am-5:00pmMost Major Insurance Accepted

®

HENDERSON FAMILY YMCA

380 Ruin Creek RoadHenderson, NC 27536

(252) 438-2144www.hendersonymca.org

6th ANNUAL FATHER/DAUGHTER DANCEFriday, February 1st from 6:00pm-9:00pm

$15 couple- $6 each additional girlFathers, Grandfathers and

“ Father-fi gures” are welcome.

This is the time of year when the risk o f hypother mia

increases. Hypothermia is when the core body t e m p e r a t u r e d r o p s below the nor mal of 98 degrees. It does not cause any problems until a person’s temperature gets down to 95 or so, but below this the heart may have irregular beats or even stop.

The weather is the most obvious factor, but also chronic illnesses and accidents predis-pose to the problem. Alcohol is a ser ious depressant that con-tributes to many of the cases of hypothermia. It can cause a normal, healthy person to fail to heed the warning signs of shivering and cold

hands and feet.Diabetes commonly

contributes to hypother-mia. The most serious risk is to have a hypo-glycemic reaction, which will cause increased heat loss by sweating and also decreased energy production because of the low blood sugar.

T h e o t h e r m a i n causes are simply get-t ing stranded in bad weather or accidents w h e r e a p e r s o n i s injured and cannot pro-tect himself from the ele-ments.

M o i s t u r e r a p i d l y robs your body of heat and destroys insulation. This occurs in endur-ance sports, such as run-ning or ski marathons, where a person gets totally exhausted and is

sweating for prolonged periods. This causes a great amount of heat loss. Moisture can also come from precipita-tion or submersions in water. Windbreakers are impor tant in pre-venting the loss from wind-chill, especially if a person is wet or sweaty.

The most impor -tant measures are to dress appropriately, keep dr y, and protect yourself from the wind. Use common sense in avoiding accidents and keep an emergency survival kit in your car. If you do get so cold that you can not regis-ter a temperature of at least 96 degrees, you should go to the hospi-tal immediately.

Keeping the cold out: Hypothermia

Preparing a winter survival kit


A4 HEALTHBEAT

Josep V. Feliú, CP, CPed, PTAOffering local, individualized Prosthetic & Pedorthic Care

Ph 252.430.8778 • Fax 252.430.87701302 Dabney Dr., Henderson, NC [email protected] most insurancesProsthetic home visits available No charge for an offi ce visit

New PatientsWelcome. Call for

Appointment

• Custom Upper And Lower Limb Prosthetic Devices• Replacement Prosthetic Components• Custom Foot Orthotics• Diabetic Shoes• Follow-up Visits• Ottobock C-Leg and Harmony system certifi ed

Providing:

A NEW NAME WITH THE SAME GREAT SERVICE AND LOCATION!

Formerly Range of Motion

A true story ...“I was working at a

major trauma center sev-eral years ago. One night, a man and his wife were involved in a serious car wreck. Unfortunately the wife died in the accident and the husband was admitted to the hospital with serious, life-threatening head inju-ries. That man, Mr. Johnson (not his real name) was placed on a ventilator with full life support. His family was notified and four of the five children arrived shortly there after. A series of tests were performed and it was determined that the brain damage to Mr. Johnson was extension and was irrevers-ible. His brain was damaged in such a way that he would probably stop breathing if

taking off of life support.Mr. Johnson’s four chil-

dren discussed the mat-ter and decided to let their father go. They felt that this is what their father would have wanted and they want-ed to honor his wishes. How-ever, they did request to keep their father on the breathing machine until the last child got a chance to see him.

When the last son arrived, he became very upset about his siblings’ deci-sion to let their father go. He argued that Dad would never agree to “giving up” and that the medical staff should do everything pos-sible, no matter the time, the cost or the situation it put on their father. He truly believed that this was his father’s wish. Needless to say,

the situation got very ugly very quickly. The son con-vinced one of his sisters that his belief is what their father wanted. The dif ference in what the siblings thought their father wanted divided the family and instead of coming together to grieve for their parents, they split camps. After a few days, their father’s condition con-tinued to worsen. Now, only additional life support could barely sustain life. The fam-ily and their father’s physi-cian agreed to meet with an advisory board to come to an understanding. The deci-sion was made by the board and the physician to go with the majority of the children’s request to remove life sup-port. Mr. Johnson died quick-ly thereafter.”

The point of the story? No one really knew what Mr. Johnson’s last wishes were: he did not have any advance directives in place including a living will or a healthcare power of attor-ney. Had Mr. Johnson writ-ten advance directives, his family may have avoided a ugly situation that undoubt-edly left scars that may never heal. After all, each child did what they hon-estly believed their father wanted. If he only had an advance directive.

The law of North Caro-lina provides a way for you to “make your wishes known” in writing so your doctor and family will know how you want to be treated in the event you become unable to tell them.

Declaration of a desire for a natural death

(living will) North Carolina allows

you to say whether you want to be allowed to die a natural death or prefer to have medical treatment which would prolong the natural dying process. North Carolina has adopt-ed a form you can use to express your wishes. The form is called a “Declara-tion of a Desire for a Natural Death.”

Before your declaration becomes effective, a physi-cian other than your attend-ing physician must confirm that you have a terminal and incurable condition or you are in a persistent vegeta-tive state and, without treat-

ment, death will occur with-in a short time. Through a declaration you sign now, you can direct the withhold-ing or withdrawing of life-prolonging techniques in an end-of-life situation.

To sign a valid declara-tion, you must be at least 18 years old and mentally com-petent. At least two people must witness your signa-ture. Certain close relatives and persons providing you with health care cannot act as witnesses.

It is your obligation to let your doctor know that you have a declaration. You may void or change your declara-tion at any time before you become incompetent. If you choose to revoke your dec-laration, be sure to let your doctor and family know.

Advance directives: Making your wishes known

The Daily DispaTch HealthBeat TuesDay, January 23, 2013 5A5 HEALTHBEAT

J. W. Jenkins Building (252) 436-1085

568 Ruin Creek Road Suite 102

Henderson, NC

Caring for Your Heart,Caring for You.

Northern Carolina Cardiology is Maria Parham Medical Center’s newest physician practice, joining a growing list of outstanding hospital-owned practices. Northern Carolina Cardiology offers non-invasive heart care through the talents

The physicians at Northern Carolina Cardiology are accepting new patients and accept referrals from your family physician.

Offering Diagnosis & Treatment of Heart Related Illnesses

Where the PatientComes First.

Hernan Jimenez, MD

Offering Outpatient & InpatientCare for the Following:

J. W. Jenkins Building 568 Ruin Creek Road

Suite 128Henderson, NC (252) 436-1380

This Practice is a Department of Maria

Parham Medical Center.

What is Physical & Rehabilatative Medicine?

(EMG)

Healthcare power of attorney

A power of attorney is

a document by which you give another person — your “agent” — the authority to make decisions about the financial aspects of your life. As a North Carolina resident, you may also sign a healthcare power of attor-ney which gives your health care agent the authority to make decisions about your health care. The authority of a health care agent is gen-erally not restricted to end-of-life situations, but applies to all health care decisions when you are no longer capable of making such decisions.

To appoint a health care agent, you must be least 18 years old and competent. The person you appoint should be notified in advance. You must sign the document in the presence of

two witnesses who must not be your health care provid-ers, blood relatives, or have a financial interest in your estate.

You can revoke this document just as you would a Living Will. There are a

number of safeguards built into the law to protect you.

DNR (Do Not Resuscitate)

A DNR, or Do Not Resus-

citate, is an order given by

a patient’s physician stating what is to be done or not done in case of a patient going into cardiac or pul-monary arrest. A DNR dif-fers from a living will in that it is an order by the physi-cian as opposed to a living

will, which is a desire of the patient.

North Carolina allows for a qualified patient to have a Portable DNR order. The Portable DNR is a special yellow form, available from local EMS Services, to be completed by the patient’s physician. The intent of a Portable DNR is to com-municate to EMS, upon their arrival, the existence of a DNR. A Portable DNR is valid for up to eight hours upon arrival at the hospital or until a physician’s order concerning the same has been written.

Helpful hints The health care power

of attorney applies to more than just end-of-life situ-ations and is more flexible than a living will. It may be best to consider signing both documents. If you do not have a living will or health-

care power of attorney and become incompetent, North Carolina law takes over and may allow others to make health care decisions for you. A DNR is a physician order and you should com-municate to your personal physician your wishes.

A living will, healthcare power of attorney or DNR order that is valid in another state may not be valid here and should be reviewed by a local attorney.

North Carolina law pro-vides forms for both the declaration and health care power of attorney. You must be very specific in filling out these forms. If you have questions, it is probably a good idea to contact a lawyer to help you.

If you have any questions or comments concerning advance directives, contact: Maria Parham Marketing & Patient Relations at (252) 436-1800.

In order to spare one’s family the scars left behind when its members disagree about what your last wishes are, one should have advance directives put in place before one’s health declines.


A6 HEALTHBEAT

Vance Medical Arts, 511 Ruin Creek Road,

Suite 101 Henderson, NC 27536

252-492-8576

Granville Medical Complex,

1018 College Street Oxford, NC 27565919-693-9998

Louisburg Medical Arts, 1501 N Bickett

Boulevard,Suite D

Louisburg, NC 27549252-492-8576

New Patients Welcome/Call for an Appointment

252-492-8576 www.pwhpobgyn.com

Most Major Insurance Plans Accepted

Premier Women’s Health Professionals, PAA new commitment. A long heritage.

Looking for an OB/GYN?• Certifi ed Nurse Practitioner

Estena Bradley• Certifi ed Nurse Midwives

Cara Grout, Janice Martinez, Karen Maclean, LaTonya Armstrong

• Board-Certifi ed OB/GYN PhysiciansDr. James W. Hampton, Dr. James A. McCarthy,

Dr. C. Scott Hays

In spite of the excitement of becoming pregnant, m a n y w o m e n d o n o t

seek medical care as soon as they should. However, there are many reasons for seeing your doctor as soon as possible.

It is very early in the preg-nancy that the major risk of complications occur. These complications include both accidental harm to the devel-oping baby, such as from exposure to x-rays, infec-tions or medicines, and the unavoidable complications, such as miscar riages and tubal pregnancies. Your doc-tor can advise you about the risks of medicines, alcohol, tobacco, caf feine and other substances. These can be harmful, especially if taken

in the first few months of the pregnancy.

Early in the pregnancy the doctor will prescribe vita-mins which will provide extra nutrition to the mother and the developing baby. Iron is important, and folic acid helps prevent the risk of defects of the brain and spinal cord.

Many medical problems which may af fect a pregnan-cy can be discovered early and treated to help avoid the potential complications they carry. These illnesses include diabetes, anemia, high blood pressure and hereditar y ill-nesses.

Genetic counseling may be important for couples who are likely to be carriers of certain genes that can cause bir th defects or miscarriages. Also,

if a woman is over 35, she may benefit from genetic studies.

Early and regular prenatal care will give you the healthi-est baby possible. It is even wise to have an exam and dis-cuss potential risks with your doctor before conceiving.

It is ver y impor tant to consult with your physician as soon as you find out your pregnant or even suspect that you may be pregnant. For a listing of family physicians in the area, please go to Maria Parham’s website at mari-aparham.com or call (252) 436-1800 for additional infor-mation. The Granville-Vance Health Department can also be of assistance for mothers-to-be. The important thing is to take care of your unborn child as soon as you can.

Early care during pregnancy is important

Early and regular pre-natal care will give you the healthiest baby possible. Many medical problems which may affect a pregnancy can be dis-covered early and treated to help avoid the potential compli-cations they carry. T h e s e i l l n e s s e s include diabetes, ane-mia, high blood pres-sure and hereditary illnesses.


John R. van Venrooy DMD, MPH, PA

Diplomate American Board Of Orthodontics

Jenkins Building 568 Ruin Creek Road, Suite 007

Henderson, NC 27536

252-492-6628www.hendersonortho.net

Preferred Provider:

Accepts and Files Most Insurance

Hours:Monday - Th ursday

8:15am - 5:00pm

• Delta Dental • MetLife • United Concordia

943 West Andrews Ave.252-438-2573

Mon. - Sat.7:00am -7:45pm

Call ForCompleteSchedule

Call ForCompleteSchedule

S-T-R-E-T-C-H your Retirement Dollars!

Call 252-430-1267!

Ma r i a P a r h a m Medical Center, a Duke LifePoint

Hospital, has always been your par tner in health in our community. We are very pleased to offer eHealth, an online tool for you to manage your health, get the very latest healthcare news and personalize health topics for you and your family. eHealth is your complete health management tool. It’s free and it’s available online, anytime, anywhere!

eHealth consists of sev-eral healthcare tools includ-ing:

• My Health Newslet-ter — Each month you’ll receive an e-newsletter that you have designed around only the topics that matter most to you.

• My Health Remind-ers and My Health Reminders for Loved Ones — Receive remind-ers of appointments and recommended health screenings.

• My Health Assess-ments — Interactive health and wellness question-naires.

• My Baby Expecta-tions — What to expect guide for all stages of preg-nancy.

The best part of My Health Newsletter is that you can design the news-letter to include any health related topic that you want to read about. You can also

change it at anytime — add-ing or subtracting topics as you see fit. Currently, there are over two dozen health topics available. These sto-ries are not hand-picked stories from Maria Parham, but medically-reviewed, cur-rent health news/articles from 350+ sources, deliv-ered monthly to your inbox.

When you subscribe to My Health Newsletter, you also get free access to My Health Reminders. Not only is My Health Reminders great for helping you with your upcoming appoint-ments, it will show you, based on your age and gen-der, Centers for Disease Control recommendations for periodic exams, tests and more. If you would like to include other members of your family, you can. My Health Reminders for Loved Ones allows you to add information about loved ones to also receive the same types of health reminders and CDC recom-mendations.

My Health Assessments is yet another health tool available on Maria Parham’s eHealth. My Health Assess-ments includes comprehen-sive health and wellness tools that give expert health and wellness recommenda-tions based on easy-to-use interactive questionaires. Each assessment meets rig-orous editorial standards to provide you with accurate and trustworthy health and

wellness information.Are you expecting or

know someone who is? Maria Parham is pleased to offer a specialty newslet-ter just for you! My Baby Expectations is custom designed to grow with you from the time you discover that you are pregnant to your baby’s first birthday. This wonderful program includes pertinent informa-tion in each step of your pregnancy, checklists to

help prepare your home for your newest family member, as well as, educational infor-mation on important topics such as SIDS and breast-feeding.

Also included as part of Maria Parham’s eHealth are Medline and Medlin-ePlus, programs that utilize trusted health information from the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. You can research health topics, drug

information and even look at medical illustrations.

How do you sign-up for Maria Parham’s eHealth? There are two easy ways to sign-up for this exciting health tool:

Go to mariaparham.com/ehealth and click on “Click Here.” You may also go to mariaparham.com, click on the green box with the letter “p” and then click on “Click Here.”

Call (252) 436-1800 and

talk to a member of Maria Parham’s Community Rela-tions team. We will ask you a few questions as we sign you up for eHealth. You will need to know your email address and we will send you an email confirmation and link so you can go to Maria Parham’s eHealth.

If you have additional questions, or if you would like more information, feel free to give us a call at (252) 436-1800.

Free on-line health resource personalized for you

The My Health Newsletter can include any health related topic that you want to read about. You can also change it at anytime — adding or subtracting topics as you see fit. Currently, there are over two dozen health topics available.


A8 HEALTHBEAT

New Century Ophthalmology, PC

Diseases & Surgery of Retina & VitreousMedical Laser & Surgical Eye Care

Vinod K. Jindal, MD, FACS(Board Certifi ed Ophthalmologist and Retina Specialist)

Specializing In:• Vitreo-retinal diseases and surgery• Macular Diseases and Surgery• Macular Degenerations (Lucentis, Avastin, Macugen, Eylea)• Diabetic Eye Diseases- Retinopathy, Vitreous Hemorrhages• Cataracts- no- stitch surgery, Restor, Crystalens• Glaucoma- Medical, Laser and Surgical Management• Eyelid Surgery- Cosmetic and Therapeutic Blepharoplasty and Botox Treatments• Low Visual AidsNCO is equipped with State of the Art equipment- first in the area with Heidelberg angiograms, Pascal Laser Treatments

1001 College Street, Oxford, NC 27565919-693-6661

www.ncophth.comOffi ce Hours:

Mon-Fri 8:00am - 5:00pmMon.-Fri. 9am-6pm • Sat. 9am-4pm

501 S. Chestnut St., Henderson

438-4158

PRESCRIPTION SPECIALISTSSPECIALTY PHARMACY

Your Hometown Drug Store Since 1960

Free Blood Pressure Clinic • Vaccination ClinicNo Physician? Let us Help! Prevention is the First Step.

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VOTED BEST DRUG STORE 2011!Gayle Cheek, RPh Manager

Linda Baker, RPh

BY ANN MARGARET KANE FERGUSON, MPA

In Januar y, attention turns to reverting back to pre-holiday numbers

and resolving to stay on track with our healthy new year resolutions of a nutritious diet and regular exercise plan.

Despite our best inten-tions, the winter weather is not on our side. Yes, even in the south; although the season is kinder; we are still not immune from the winter weather ef fects. Shorter days of sunlight and cooler temperatures may cause hibernation.

Normally people are not as physically active during the cold, winter months. In addition, the weather may prevent some individuals from going to the gym or exer-

cise class, preferring to stay at home cuddled under a blanket or in front of the fire. Also seasonal affect disorder — SAD — results from depression due to insufficient sunlight during the winter.

The average win-ter weight gain is five to seven pounds, according to Dr. Lawrence J. Che-skin, founder and direc-tor of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, at the John Hop-kins Bloomberg School of Public Health located in Baltimore, Md. When you couple a reduction in exercise with an increase eating, weight gain is the end result.

Well do not fear, infor-mation to Avoid Win-ter Weight Gain is near. Enclosed are some tips to

decrease weight increases during the season:

1) Keep Moving — Play an exercise tape, Go to the gym even when you would rather not, or be brave and endure the chilly outdoors- with a run to warm you up!

2) Be aware of the foods you are eating. Select low-fat, high fiber meals and snacks.

3) Drink Up! Not with alcohol, but H20 (water).

4) Warm up with a nutritious and delicious bowl of soup that’s broth based.

5) Aim to maintain your health and optimal weight during the cold weather months.

Hopefully “In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb.” Winter will be over soon. Let it end a little lighter.

How to avoid winter weight gainMigraines have a

bad reputation. It has gotten to

the point that anyone with a severe headache calls it a migraine. Actually, the severity of a migraine headache can var y dramatically — some people with migraines have no pain at all, just v isual symptoms or numbness.

The cause of migraines appears to be at the brain cell level, where the release of potent chemicals cause the spasm and then dilation of blood vessels within the brain. There is a hereditary tendency towards migraines.

Migraines can vary con-siderably from person to person, at times making it difficult to separate them

from the much more com-mon tension headaches. The diagnosis is made by a person’s symptoms, not by tests, so it is important to relate all your symptoms accurately to your doctor.

Many people have a prodrome of symptoms—warning signs before the headache actually begins. This is helpful because it helps confirm the diagno-sis and also allows a per-son to use medicines that will abort or at least lessen the headache.

T h e s e p r o d r o m a l symptoms commonly involve the eyes and may include zigzag lines, flash-ing lights, blind spots, and even temporary loss of vision. If the involved arter-ies are in a different part of the brain, numbness and

stroke-like symptoms may predominate.

Migraines tend to occur regularly, but infrequent-ly. They may occur once a year or a couple times a week. They seldom occur more often than that, although they can lead to tension headaches, which can occur daily. Sorting out which are migraines and which are tension head-aches can be difficult, but is worthwhile so the best treatment can be used.

For help with combat-ing your migraines or other health issues, consult with your family physician. For a listing of family phy-sicians in the area, please go to Maria Parham’s web-site at mphosp.org or call (252) 436-1800 for addition-al information.

What are migraine headaches?


Providing Services To Our Communities For Over 37 Years125 Charles Rollins Rd. • Henderson, NC 27536Telephone: (252) 492-5831 Fax: (252) 492-3613

www.gvdhd.org

Specializing in Diseases of the Kidney & Hypertension

Tariq Abo-Kamil, MDInternal Medicine

Maria Parham Nephrology & Hypertension

J. W. Jenkins Building 568 Ruin Creek Road




Lucy Wessinger, NP

One of the warning signs of cancer is a change in a mole.

Moles that grow, bleed or change color may indicate the more serious kind of skin cancer called “black moles,” or melanomas. The more common skin cancers develop as an ulcer, grow slowly and rarely spread, while these black melanomas spread very easily and are very resistant to treatment.

In women, melanomas are most commonly found on the legs and in men on the head or neck—the areas of greatest sun expo-sure. Long-term sun expo-sure and sun burns are causative factors.

Most melanomas actu-ally begin in normal skin with only a quarter origi-

nating in moles. Their identification can be very dif ficult, so almost all moles that are removed by your doctor are sent to a pathologist to check under the microscope.

Usually melanomas are rather dark compared to normal moles and they usually are irregular in shape. There may be varia-tions in color, with red and light-colored areas within the black background. They are usually painless and occur most commonly in middle-aged people.

If a person has a mole that has changed or that is suspicious in appearance, the treatment is to remove it and examine it under the microscope. Early dis-covery of this cancer is extremely important since

it is very difficult to treat once it has spread. Also, just because a black mole has not changed for a year or two does not always mean it is benign. Mela-nomas may remain in an “inactive” stage for years before spreading.

There is no need to remove all moles to pre-vent the risk of skin can-cer. Fortunately, moles rarely turn cancerous and just watching for changes is usually enough. Moles in high risk areas, howev-er, may merit a biopsy.

For a list of physicians in the area who can help you live a healthier life, check out Maria Parham Medical Center’s website, mariaparham.com or call (252) 436-1800 to request information.

Black moles may indicate cancer

Br eakfas t i s the easiest meal to miss. Everyone is

in a hurry in the morning to get to school or work. Or perhaps a person is dieting and he or she is not hungry at breakfast, so it seems like a good time to “cut down on calories.”

Yet, for a variety of rea-sons, breakfast is the most important meal to eat.

According to a Univer-sity of Iowa study, children do much better in school and behave better when they eat a good breakfast. Also, children who nor-mally skipped breakfast showed an improvement in their schoolwork when they began eating break-fast. A good breakfast was also associated with less susceptibility to infections and fatigue.

Eating breakfast will often prevent the hunger which causes snacking between meals. By avoid-ing snacks, a child eats a

better lunch with foods that are less fattening than most snacks. These better eating habits help prevent childhood obesity.

This holds true for adults too. Eating break-fast sets a person up for eating regular meals, while skipping breakfast will likely promote snack foods or over-eating at din-ner at the end of the day when less calories are

needed and the excess calories are stored as fat.

Eating a good breakfast should become a habit. Any nutritious food can be eaten for breakfast, espe-cially if it contains protein and complex carbohy-drates. Low-fat milk, fruit juices and hot cereals are good, but pre-sweetened cereals and sweet rolls should be avoided because of the high sugar content.

Breakfast: The most important meal of the day

Eating breakfast sets a person up for eating regular meals, while skipping breakfast will likely promote snack foods or over-eating at dinner.


Taking up running, biking, or any sport to improve your

physical health sounds great, but it is not always easy to get started. How do you do it? How much should you do?

First, get the right equipment. Proper equip-ment will make participa-tion in your sport more enjoyable and help pre-vent injuries. Advice can be obtained from repu-table salesmen or knowl-edgeable friends already in the sport. Local sports clubs can be an excellent source of information and inspiration.

It is often helpful to talk to your physician to get an exercise “prescrip-

tion.” After listening to your heart and lungs and evaluating your physical condition, he can tell you at what level to start and how fast to progress. You may start with jogging a half mile, or just walking briskly. Exercising three to five times a week is enough to improve your fitness and health. It is wise to allow a day of rest for your body to repair and rebuild the muscle cells that have been exer-cised. After more strenu-ous exercise, a couple days of rest is important.

Once you establish a level to star t at, you can normally increase the amount of training by about 10 percent per

week. This may sound minimal, but you would double your level of train-ing ever y two months. Increasing faster is apt to cause problems with ten-donitis, stress fractures or other “overuse” inju-ries.

The zeal of getting star ted and the desire to improve quickly can often have a negative e f fec t . When a per -son develops an injur y, it is discouraging and decreases the enjoyment of the sport. This causes

many people to give up. It is the slow and steady improvement that will make any spor t more enjoyable and give you the satisfaction of your accomplishments.

Be sure to talk to your physician before starting an exercise program. If you do not have a phy-sician, we can help you locate an excellent doc-tor in our area by calling us at (252) 436-1800 or by visiting mariaparham.com for a listing of medi-cal providers.

A10 HEALTHBEAT

(252) 436-0440

120 Charles Rollins Rd Suite 102

Henderson, NC

Gary A. Smith, MD

Lending you a helping hand throughout life’s journey.

is committed to providing high quality, compassionate, comprehensive and cost-effective health care to all members of your family, from newborn to seniors. The FCPC team recognizes the importance of open communication, trust and respect between our patients and their physician, and encourage the development of a relationship that promotes your active participation in your health care decisions.

John J. Faulkner, MD

Monday-Thursday: 7:30am - 7:00pm, Friday: 8:30am-5:00pm

Committed to Your Orthopaedic Needs

Steven Neunkirchner, OPA-C

Rafael Negron, MD, FAAOS

Comprehensive Orthopaedic Care

(252) 436-1314

120 Charles Rollins Rd Suite 205

Henderson, NC

Getting started exercising: that initial push

It is often helpful to talk to your physician to get an exer-cise “prescription.” After listening to your heart and lungs and evaluating your physical condition, he can tell you at

what level to start and how fast to progress.

The Daily DispaTch HealthBeat TuesDay, January 23, 2013 11

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

experience an enlarged thyroid gland.

The most common cause of hypothyroid-ism is Hashimotos thy-roid disease. This is an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks and destroys the gland.

A simple blood test can be ordered by your doctor to determine if thyroid function is abnor-mal. If you are diagnosed with hyper thyroidism, you can be treated by either anti-thyroid medi-cation, radioactive iodine to destroy the gland, or surgical removal of the thyroid. Left untreated, hyper thyroidism can cause osteoporosis (brit-

tle bones) or heart dis-ease. The treatment for hypothyroidism is sim-ply a daily pill of thyroid hormone. Treatment is lifelong and should be monitored closely by a

physician.Diana E. Desai, MD, is

a Board-Certified endo-crinologist with Maria Parham Endocrinology. An endocrinologist is a physician who special-izes in the treatment of diseases of the endocrine system, such as diabe-tes, hyperthyroidism and other related issues. She also has special interest in women’s health issues and diseases of the thy-roid.

Maria Parham Endo-crinology is Maria Par-ham’s seventh hospital-owned physician practice and the only endocrinolo-gy practice in the region. The practice is located in the Medical Office Plaza behind the hospital at 120 Charles Rollins Road Suite 206. The of fice number is (252) 436-6240.

A11 HEALTHBEAT

General & Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery

Northern Carolina Surgical Associates is a general surgical practice that provides consultative and operative services in the areas of General, Advanced Laparoscopic, Breast and Oncology-

advanced training in various specialty areas. Each doctor is dedicated to providing you the very highest level of quality healthcare.

Cynthia Robinson, MDRobert F. Noel, Jr., MD

120 Charles Rollins Rd




Lakshmi Kanth, MD

DANIEL BERNSTEIN, M.D. CYNTHIA A. HAMPTON, M.D.Four County Eye Associates

Office Hours By Appointment

(252) 492-8021800-331-6744

www.fourcountyeyeassociates.medem.com

Henderson Professional Plaza451 Ruin Creek Road, Suite 204

Henderson, NC 27536

No Stitch Cataract Surgery:Laser Surgery: Medical and

Surgical Treatment ofGlaucoma and Diabetic

Eye Diseases:Muscle and Eyelid Surgery.

Comprehensive OphthalmologyRoutine Adult and Pediatric

Exams/Glasses andContact Lenses

Dr. Diana E. Desai

THYROID


For more information, contact The Cancer Center at Maria Parham Medical Center(252) 436-1148.www.mariaparham.com

I VISIT MY DUKE CANCER SPECIALIST IN DURHAM

healthbeat: mpmc: jan. 23, 2013

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