Kathy Hubbard
January 23, 2013
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Shingles vaccine effective against infection
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says adults 50 years and older should get two doses of Shingrix. Adults 19 years and older who have or will have weakened immune systems because of disease or therapy should also be vaccinated.
Respiratory therapists help you breathe a little easier
For most of us, breathing is as normal as, you know, breathing. Unless we’re running or doing yoga, we don’t tend to think much about it. That is, of course, if we have healthy lungs. What about those who contract COVID-19 or other respiratory infections? What about people who have had surgery or a cardiac event? Or those with upper respiratory conditions such as COPD? That’s when we call in a respiratory therapist.
Stop procrastinating, book your mammogram
At one time or another we are all guilty of putting things off. But, you know that procrastination isn’t an incurable disease. So, clear your calendar for this Saturday, October 14, then call 208-265-3349 to get your spot for a mammogram at Bonner General Health’s Sip & Screen. It’s the only BGH diagnostic imaging service that doesn’t require a provider’s referral.
Know risks, signs of ovarian cancer
Since September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) says it's time to increase knowledge about ovarian cancer risks. “This month serves as an important reminder for women to be proactive about their health, learn about warning signs, and take preventive measures.”
Maintain physical, mental, and cognitive skills while aging
Several years ago, a good friend of mine who's now in her mid-90s said, "I refuse to let an old person live in this body." She still lives that axiom. She drives, she's involved in community activities and those of her children, grands, and greats. She tends her garden and, maybe even more importantly, keeps up her sense of humor.
Dizziness and fainting may be caused by POTS
The first time someone told me they had POTS, I thought they were talking about kitchen utensils. I thought it was a bit of an odd thing to tell me. Don’t we all have pots and pans? But then, when they said that POTS stands for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, it all made sense. And sent me directly to the internet.
Ten most common skin disorders
We all know that our skin is our biggest organ. And, because it’s often exposed, disorders make us self-conscious, embarrassed, or downright cranky. Let’s look at the top 10, and with a little help from www.drugs.com, talk about what the options are.
How to be proactive about your child’s eye health
Children’s visual development goes through a lot of stages between birth and maturity. And although these developments occur at a different rate for each child, there are certain things you can do to ensure your child’s eye health is on target. Physician Courney Lynn Kraus, MD, is an affiliate of Johns Hopkins Medicine. On their website, she gives excellent advice on how to be proactive with your child’s eye health.
Three out of four adults will develop hemorrhoids
If reading about things that happen to the thing you sit upon, you may want to skip today’s article. But know this one fact: three out of four adults will have hemorrhoids at one time or another in their lifetime.
Sarcoma is a cancer that affects soft tissue and bones.
Sarcoma is a rare cancer in adults. It’s estimated to make up around one percent of all adult cancers. However, it’s more prevalent in children, accounting for around 20 percent of all childhood cancers. Since awareness is always the key to early detection, there are facts we should all know.
Healthy feet, healthy you
Our feet have 26 bones, 33 joints, more than 100 muscles, ligaments, and tendons made of strong fibrous tissue, and more sweat glands than any other part of the body. They bear our body weight while we walk or stand. We cram them into our shoes. And the fact is we often take them for granted.
What to know about juvenile arthritis
“When I was six, I was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. My parents knew something was wrong when I had to come in early from trick-or-treating because I couldn’t walk up the stairs to knock on doors.” This is what was said by a young man, around thirteen I’d guess, named Carter on the Arthritis Foundation website.
Men should know the symptoms of testicular cancer
Before I say anything else about testicular cancer, I want to say that it’s highly treatable, even when it has metastasized. I also want to say it’s not the most common type of cancer. However, knowing the signs and symptoms and discussing them with your healthcare provider are key to making what I just said a true story.
Let’s talk about testosterone, too much or too little.
It’s men’s health awareness month, so we’re going to talk about testosterone. Testosterone is primarily produced in the male testicles, but to be clear, it’s also produced in women’s ovaries and adrenal cortex, but at a much lesser extent.
Putting a face on Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's has no cure; typically, the stories are more about deterioration than remission. However, some people take the diagnosis in stride and, with determination to improve their lifestyle, thwart the inevitable for at least a while. Many even give back to the communities they live in.
Not just a theme, nurses do make a difference
The American Nurses Association has been honoring nurses throughout the month of May. The designated theme for this year’s celebration is, “You make a difference.” Their website says that they selected this theme to honor all the varying nursing roles as well as the positive impact nurses make in everyone’s lives.
It’s time to get your blood pressure checked
Half of all Americans have high blood pressure (hypertension), and too many don’t know they have it. It can be caused by genetics, lifestyle habits, some medicines and medical conditions, pregnancy, and, often, age. In addition, men are more likely to develop high blood pressure than women.
Understanding all aspects of lupus
The Lupus Foundation of America describes it best: “Lupus is an unpredictable and misunderstood autoimmune disease. It is difficult to diagnose, hard to live with, and a challenge to treat. Lupus has a range of symptoms and strikes without warning.”
Understanding autism spectrum disorder
Each April, the world is invited to understand more about the subtypes of conditions that are labeled as autism. A moving target since 1908 when Eugene Bleuler coined the word for a form of schizophrenia, the current description of autism according to AutismSpeaks.org is that it “refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.”
Let’s celebrate Doctors’ Day by looking at the career
This isn’t the first time I’ve told you about Eudora Brown Almond. As a matter of fact, I think I’ve referred to her as a nutcase (almond, get it?) because she, the wife of a doctor, decided in 1933 to recognize doctors for their hard work. She chose March 30 as the day in honor of Dr. Crawford W. Long who, on that date, first used ether as an anesthetic during surgery.
Facts and myths about drugs and alcohol
Here are some statistics: according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 13 years old is the average age children start experimenting with drugs. Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance and the third most common cause of death in the U.S.
Losing your sense of smell stinks
Gary was hit in the head by a fast pitch when he was nine or ten and, as a result, lost his sense of smell. Fred has a chronic sinus disease that required several surgeries, resulting in losing his sense of smell. And Lorraine had a severe bout of COVID-19 last year and, so far, hasn’t regained her ability to smell and questions whether she ever will.
Picky eater or eating disorder sufferer?
Everyone goes through phases of liking some foods and eschewing others. But there’s a big difference between being a picky eater and having an eating disorder. Since the earlier an eating disorder is detected, the better the chance for complete recovery, it’s important to know the warning signs.
Congenital heart defects affect 40,000 babies a year
When I was around seven or eight, a neighbor gave birth to a baby described as "blue." I thought that was the coolest thing in the world and couldn't wait to see him. Really? A blue baby? Where I grew up, children of color were born every day. But a blue one was unique. So, while the 'hood rejoiced after the baby's successful surgical procedure to fix a congenital heart defect, I was childishly disappointed.
Heart patients shouldn't postpone cardiac rehab
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. That's the bad news. The good news is that more than 90 percent of people with myocardial infarction (heart attack) survive. Why? Because many people recognize their symptoms, get proper treatment, and know how to prevent having another one.
Time is critical with cardiac arrest cases
Even if you’re not a football fan, you probably heard about Damar Hamlin, the 24-year-old player who went into cardiac arrest during a game recently. He was “dead” when he hit the turf and was resuscitated by medical staff on the scene. Today, he’s well on his way to a complete recovery and undergoing rehabilitation.
Detached retina is a medical emergency
In order to best understand what a detached retina actually is, and to be aware that it’s a medical emergency, we’ll start today’s lesson with an explanation of how our eyes work. If you find yourself blinking a lot, don’t be surprised. Also, if you are a visual learner, there’s an animated graphic that you can see if you keyword “retina” at the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s website: aao.org.
Studies confirm HPV vaccine prevents cervical cancer
A landmark study in 2020 in Sweden concluded that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine dramatically reduces the number of women who develop cervical cancer. How dramatically? To the tune of a 90 percent reduction in cervical cancer incidence compared to incidence of those unvaccinated during the 11-year study of nearly 1.7 million women.
Should we put snow on the holiday menu?
While reading a whole bunch of articles about how to have a safe holiday season, I came across a headline that caught my attention. It said, “Is it safe to eat snow?” Now, there’s a subject I’ve never even considered writing about. It reminded me of a movie I watched many years ago about a couple stranded on some remote mountain, ill-prepared for the blizzard-like conditions. They bundled up to walk to safety. I remember little about the film except that the wife was pregnant and kept eating snow. The husband didn’t, and he survived. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that staying in your car is most often the safest choice when faced with inclement weather. They say not to eat snow because it will lower your body temperature, potentially causing hypothermia.
It’s not too late to get a flu shot
On November 10, the first death from influenza in Idaho was reported in Boise. As of October 29, only 26 percent of adults living in Idaho had obtained a flu shot. However, if you talk to people around town, it seems everyone has come down with what appears to be the flu. So, maybe it’s time you stopped making excuses and headed out to one of the pharmacies offering free shots.
Don’t pooh-pooh poop problems
Irritable bowel syndrome is a common chronic disorder involving the stomach and intestines, aka the gastrointestinal tract. The most common symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation. Only a small number of people with IBS suffer severe symptoms, but severity aside, the symptoms can be very uncomfortable.
Make safety tomorrow’s main course
Whether you’re hosting or attending a Thanksgiving feast tomorrow, there are a slew of safety measures to be taken. Even if you plan to stay home alone, there are some tips here that can be useful. For instance, if you didn’t change the batteries in your smoke alarms when we changed the clocks, you should do so today.
Ask if you should seek routing screening for lung cancer
About 80 percent of lung cancer deaths are attributed to smoking tobacco. The longer and more packs a day you smoke puts you at higher risk. The American Cancer Society says that cigar and pipe smoking are almost as likely to cause lung cancer and smoking low-tar or “light” cigarettes doesn’t reduce the risk.
Let’s talk about unusual diabetes symptoms
Diabetes is a group of health conditions that impairs how your body processes sugar for energy. They include Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes. If left untreated, diabetes can result in a multitude of complications, so it’s crucial that we all know the warning signs. The symptoms we hear about most often are sometimes called the three polys of diabetes. They are polyuria which is frequent urination; polydipsia which is increased thirst, and polyphagia which is an increased appetite due to loss of glucose and fluids because of increased urination.
ABCs of an infant's safe sleep
High on the list of terrifying healthcare issues is sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It's described as the unexplained death of a seemingly healthy baby less than a year old, usually during sleep. It's often called "crib death" because that’s where the child dies.
Understanding the facts of blood cancers
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society says that every three minutes, one person in the United States is diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma. Blood cancers make up around ten percent of new cancer diagnoses.
Helmets only work if they're on your head
Jack was a seemingly normal kind of guy. He was a college grad. He owned and managed a shop that sold novelty items. He rode a motorcycle without a helmet. He was involved in a minor crash. He developed a traumatic brain injury. He suffers severe seizures, double vision, and vertigo.
Think of hospice as a way to live, not a way to die
I can’t recommend hospice enough. My mother’s team was in a different state. Still, since then, I’ve personally had two experiences with Bonner General Health Community Hospice, and, even though I’m a wordsmith, I can’t find enough superlatives for their services.
The A, B, Cs of viral hepatitis
Thursday is World Hepatitis Day
Ten reasons to stay hydrated year round
In your heart of hearts, you know it’s good for you
Don't let a calamity ruin your day on the water
Idaho leads the nation in drowning victims.
Knowledge is the best defense against skin cancers
Besides the sun’s harmful UV rays, the other main cause of skin cancers is tanning beds.
Getting 'back to basics' for mental health month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
National Nurses Week starts Friday
National Nurses Week runs from Friday, May 5 to Thursday, May 12
Take a moment today to thank a doctor
Local doctors all deserve recognition for providing the best quality healthcare
Kidneys perform a life-sustaining job
Put your hand up if you know what your kidneys do?
Younger people being diagnosed with colorectal cancer
People over the age of 50 are seeing fewer diagnoses of CRC, but unfortunately, that’s not the situation with younger people.
Folate critical for red cell development and more
Whatever you call it, it’s important for a range of functions in your body.
Improve your health by having a positive attitude
Last week I promised to offer you great advice for being healthy
Let’s be thankful for 'modern' medicine
I’m thankful that I live in a community with such competent, caring medical care
Food for thought about heartburn
Most of us will suffer occasional heartburn.
Don’t call it a ‘dowager’s hump’
It’s always a good idea to call conditions by their proper name.
No doubt about it, head lice are a nuisance
Pediculosis, which is big talk for a louse infestation, dates back to prehistory.
How different is Hodgkin’s vs. non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
Lymphoma is a type of cancer
HFMD common in children but rarely serious
HFMD is often painful, but it isn’t serious
Blindness can be preventable
The good news is that in most cases, losing your sight is preventable.
Every pregnancy carries risks
Good prenatal care and timely screenings can minimize those risks
Myasthenia Gravis, rare and hard to diagnose
Myasthenia gravis is a disease characterized by weakness and rapid fatigue of muscles under your voluntary control.
Asthma and allergies controllable but not curable
About 25 million Americans have allergic asthma, while 24 million Americans have hay fever, rhinitis, or nasal allergies.
It's time to thank a nurse
COVID-19 has taught us a lot about nursing care.
Your dentist should check for oral cancers
Early cancer detection is of utmost importance.
Tremors not always caused by Parkinson’s
There’s a common misconception that everything that shakes is Parkinson’s disease.
Wait-and-see often successful with ear infections
The baby got fussy. That’s all the new mom noticed. He just wasn’t himself, if he really had a sense of self at six months of age.