Welcome to this Month's
America's Family Doctors "Staying Healthy" Newsletter.
As an added service to our
friends and families, we have created this eNewsletter to help us stay Healthy. Please email us if there are ways we can serve you
better.
Stay Healthy for Years to Come
Annual Preventive
Physicals
Staying healthy for years to come is not an impossible achievement. Good diet
and exercise are the first steps in the right direction in maintaining good health. Another great way to stay healthy is to have
an annual preventive exam or physical.
During a
physical you may be offered age appropriate diagnostics tests that will help determine your current level of
health
Some of the many areas that we examine
during a physical include: heart health, hearing loss, bone loss, and some cancers and blood disorders.
Healthy
Facts about the Heart:
- Total Cholesterol should be less than 200 LDL
- (Bad) Cholesterol should be less than 100or less than 70 forpatients with Diabetes
- HDL (Good) Cholesterol should be greater than 40
- Cholesterol ratio should be less than 3.5
Heart Disease
is the number one cause of death for men and women in the United States. Currently 1 out of 10 women have heart disease and
1 out of 6 men have heart disease. There are many factors that affect the health of the heart: smoking, diet, exercise, cholesterol, and
heredity. With use of the newest technology many heart problems are preventable if not avoidable. Blood work to check cholesterol, EKG or
heart ultrasounds if indicated, and regular blood pressure checks are a great way to monitor potential problems.
Healthy Facts about the Ear:
- Ear problems can manifest by dizziness, ear fullness, earache, ringing in the ears (Tinnitus),ear wax, and innerear disorders.
- Hearing loss can be noise induced. Proper hearing protection will decrease your risk of hearing loss.
- Wearing ear plugs/ ear muffs while mowing the lawn or turning down the volume of your MP3 player can minimize the permanent damage on your inner
ear.
- Wearing swimmers plugs/ ear plugs while swimming may minimize swimmers ears or ear infection
- Ringing in the ears or fluctuating hearing loss combined with dizziness may be a sign of Menere's disease.
Ear and
hearing disorders are one of the most common conditions affecting ALL age groups from infants to older adults. Of the 28 million Americans
who suffer from hearing loss, approximately 17 in 1000 children have some degree of hearing loss less than 18 years of age, which could be potentially
identifiable by some quick hearing tests. One in three people older than 60 and half of those older than 85 have hearing loss. Hearing problems
can make it hard to to respond to warnings and to hear doorbells and alarms. They can also make it hard to enjoy talking with friends and
family. Regular annual hearing tests will help in early identification of middle & inner ear disorders including dizziness &
vertigo.
Healthy Facts about Bone Loss:
- Osteoporosis may be preventable with good consumption of Vitamin D and Calcium and daily exercise.
- This disease can be treated with a range of prescription medication.
- Caucasian and Asian women are the more likely to develop osteoporosis.
- Menopause can also increase the chances to have the disease.
- The Dexa Scan is the test used for most women over forty to detect the disease.
- A scan is recommended every two years for screening after age forty
- This test is available at AFD for your convenience
Osteoporosis or bone loss is a debilitating disease that can be prevented and even
treated. Bone loss affect an estimated 44 million Americans, of which 80% are women. This disease causes the bones to
become fragile and more likely to break. If not prevented or left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks.
These broken bones usually occur in the hip, spine, and wrist. Women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease, but men
also suffer from osteoporosis. This condition is detectable by bone density testing, which is a quick eight to ten minutes
test.
Healthy Facts for some Cancers and Blood
work:
- Annual Pap smears & breast exams are recommended for all women. Women should do a breast self-exam every month.
- Yearly PSA & Prostate / Rectal Exam starting at age 40 for men.
- Men should have a fecal blood test every year starting at age 50; with a colonoscopy once every 10 years starting at age 50, earlier if
there is a family history.
- Annual blood work will also indicate cancers like Leukemia, which affect the young and old.
- Blood work will also indicate the presence of many diseases like diabetes, thyroid problems, HIV, Hepatitis, common infections, and many other
problems.
Are you at risk for some type of cancer or blood
disease? Cancers are on the rise in this country and around the world, 4 out of 10 people will develop cancer in their lifetime. Many
cancers are detectable by blood work and diagnostic testing. Simple blood work and testing are great forms of preventative
medicine.
Take Charge of your Health:
Legendary Investor, Warren Buffet once said that if God
allows us to pick any car we want BUT we must drive it forever, how well will we take care of this car?
Engaging in a healthy lifestyle along with an annual physical may add many healthy years to your
life.
Services that America's Family Doctors offer
during Annual Physicals:
AFD schedules appointments Monday through Friday for full physical exams and pap smears. Our full physicals may include:
Blood Work
Chest X-ray
Urine Analysis
Hearing
& Vision Testing
EKG
Breathing Tests
Prostate examination for men
Paps for women
Further testing may be indicated like Bone Density scans and Heart ultrasounds at the time of your appointment. Please call
today to schedule your Annual Physical. Same day appointments are now available.
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Anitha Dhar, MD |
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Connie Crosslin, FNP
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Elaine Dauwalder, FNP
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Cary Hatcher, FNP |
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Angela Kelley, PA-C
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