Kathy Hubbard
January 23, 2013
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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.