Heart Health and Heart Disease

Heart Disease, also known as cardiovascular (CVD) disease, along with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), has been a common topic in the news today.  There are many who suffer from heart disease but it seems that as soon as we hear the news of a celebrity, for some reason it hits home and wakes us up.  The most recent celebrities to be plagued and to have succumb to this horrible disease are George Michael & Carrie Fisher, both with heart failure.  Such shocking and sad news, but this disease does not discriminate.

Cardiovascular disease include the following: 

• Angina
• Heart Attack
• Stroke
• Heart Failure
• Hypertensive Heart Disease
• Rheumatic Heart Disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• Heart Arrhythmia
• Congenital Heart Disease
• Valvular Heart Disease
• Carditis
• Aortic Aneurysms
• Peripheral Artery Disease
• Venous Thrombosis

According to CDC.gov, Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.  

• About 610,000 people die of heart diseases in the United States every year, that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.
• Every year about 750,000 Americans have a heart attack, of these 550,000 are a first heart attack and 210,000 happen in people who have already had a heart attack.
• About 15% of people who have a heart attach will die from it.
• Almost half of sudden cardiac deaths happen outside a hospital.
• High blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of Americans (47%) have at lease one of these three risk factors. 
• Several other medical conditions can attribute to the disease as well, including:
• Diabetes, being overweight and obesity, Poor Diet, Physical Inactivity and Excessive Alcohol use.

SYMPTOMS OF HEART ATTACK:

A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to the heart is cut off.  The continued lack of blood flow to the heart muscle, can increase and greatly damage the heart.  Recognizing the signs of a heart attack and calling 911 immediately greatly increases the chance of survival.

The National Heart Attack Alert Program list the major signs of a heart attack: 

• Chest Pain or discomfort: Discomfort in the center or left side of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back.  The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body:  Can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
• Shortness of Breath:  Often comes along with the chest discomfort.  But it also can occur before chest discomfort.
• Other Symptoms:  May include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.

If you think that you or someone you know is having a heart attack, don’t hesitate to call 911 immediately.

Happy and Healthy 2017

Importance of Talking to Your Doctor about all Medicines and Over-the-Counter Supplements that you take

Advances in medicines, improvements to insurance and Medicare Part B plans, and an aging population has led to an increase in the amount of older Americans taking prescription drugs combined with over-the-counter drugs and supplements. These combinations could lead to serious side effects according to a new study. Their are potential dangers when mixing prescriptions drugs with over-the-counter medicines and supplements so these should be discussed in detail with your doctor.

CNN recently published the article "The Growing Danger of Mixing Prescription Drugs and Supplements” by Carina Storrs. The article contains information based on studies that show more older Americans are combining these drugs and simply not discussing them with their doctors or health care providers. With increases of usage it is more important than ever to discuss with your doctor any and all medicines, supplements and over-the-counter drugs that you are taking.

For example, Warfin is a popular prescription blood thinner. People may be taking it along with common over-the-counter fish oil supplements with Omega 3. The combinations of these two drugs has been found by researchers to be associated with an increased risk of bleeding.

Patients often times don’t tell their doctors about nonprescription drugs that they are taking. A common reason for not sharing this information is that the doctor might not have asked and the patient may not think it was important.

In order to make it easier to speak with your doctor or health care professional a detailed list should be made of all the drugs and over-the-counter medicines and supplements being taken. It might be even better to bring in the bottles or containers of all of the products to show your doctor.

It is also a good idea to speak with your doctor if you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines and plan or want to explore other supplement options. This way you and your doctor or healthcare provider can work together to ensure you are taking medicines properly.

Incontinence Does Not Discrimate

Incontinence is a health issue that does not discriminate. It can effect young and old, rich or poor, and men or women. For example - Kate Winslet is a 40 year old woman and Oscar winning movie star that has recently publicly discussed the very private issue of her issues incontinence. Her incontinence came about as result of child bearing that has resulted in weakening of the muscles that support the bladder.

Incontinence can strike at any age and for many reasons. If you are experiencing incontinence, even just a few drips, it is a good idea to consult your doctor as they may have advice, treatment and life changes that can help reduce or eliminate the condition.

People experiencing incontinence may change their lifestyle due to being afraid of leaks or accidents. Luckily there are many products available that can help control leaks and accidents. Not only will these products help you keep the condition discreet, they will also help maintain skin health and overall comfort.

Disposable products for use with incontinence include:

Pads, Liners, & Underwear Inserts - available in a wide range of sizes and absorbencies. Designed to fit right in existing underwear and many times individually packaged for easy transport and use. These products are designed to absorb urine and keep it away from the skin and control odors. Many people will try to use feminine hygiene pads for this purpose, but these items are not designed for use with urine and will not be as effective or provide the same type of leakage and odor control. Pads are also available specifically for men.

Protective Underwear - these are disposable underwear that are designed to pull on and off like regular underwear. Most have side panels that area easily torn/split making clean and comfortable removal possible. Protective Underwear are available in a variety of sizes and absorbencies to allow the wearer to go about their lives with minimal impact. And since they pull on and off individuals can easily change themselves for even more privacy.

Adult Diapers - adult diapers are also commonly referred to as “briefs” in the manufacturing industry. This often causes confusion between them and protective underwear. An adult diaper is a garment that folds around the waist and up through the crotch area and secures with tabs made of tape or a hook and loop (think Velcro) type of fastener on the side. These products are great for use by caregivers for a number of reasons including ease of assisted changing for bedridden wearers.

Science and technology have come a long way in designing thinner and more absorbent materials allowing these disposable incontinence products to be thinner yet highly absorbent.

There are many people from all walks of life and ages dealing with incontinence. It is a very common issue and should be discussed with your doctor. Here is a helpful link to a previous article on how to discuss incontinence with your doctor.  There are many disposable incontinence products on the market to help maintain dignity and discretion.

Kimberly Clark Healthcare is now Halyard Health

Kimberly Clark Health Care products are now Halyard Health products. The name has changed, but they are the same great products with the same dependable quality.

The transition on these products will occur over the next 24 months. These changes include new packaging and product branding, but the products will remain the same.

Products formerly Kimberly Clark Health Care that are transition to Halyard Health include:

• Medical exam gloves
• Patient care products
• Facial & Respiratory products
• Hand hygiene products
• Protective Apparel
• PPE dispensers
• Surgical gowns
• Sterilization solutions
• Surgical drapes, packs and equipment covers
• Surgical accessories
• Advanced Wound Care Dressings
• Plus many other products

Over the course of the transition products will begin to ship in the new packaging as existing inventories of Kimberly Clark Health Care products decline. But rest assured that products have not changed and will continue to be the high quality excellent products that were available in the past.

How to Speak to Your Doctor About Incontinence

I recently found an article by Dr Benjamin Dillion on CNN.com regarding Incontinence and the 5 Myths About  the Sudden Urge to 'Go'. This article is very informative and covers 5 major misconceptions that keeps patients from speaking with their doctors about their loss of bladder control. These myths are:

1. I'm the only person with incontinence
2. It's irreversible
3. It's a 'normal' part of aging
4. Medications are your only options
5. It's annoying but not serious

Each topic is covered in ways to help you better understand loss of bladder control and how you can speak more openly with your doctor. Addressing the issue with a doctor may seem difficult, but remember that they are there to help you ultimately lead a better life and not become a prisoner of your bladder.

Here is a link to read the full text of the article on CNN.com:

Even though urinary incontinence affects about 25 million Americans and there are many treatment options to improve symptoms, talking about the often unexpected and always urgent need "to go" is still taboo, even with your doctor...