May 10, 2012

World No Tobacco Day

Pat Folan, RN

World No Tobacco Day is celebrated each year on May 31st to increase awareness about health problems caused by tobacco use.  This year, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) “tobacco industry interference” theme highlights the tobacco industry’s efforts to thwart tobacco control policies around the world and reminds organizations and governments of their responsibility to be vigilant against the tobacco industry  and help control the global tobacco epidemic. 

Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of preventable death and disease in the world, killing nearly six million people each year. Through advertising and marketing, tobacco companies glamorize smoking in order to entice children and young adults to initiate smoking. To combat tobacco industry strategies, effective tobacco control policies have been implemented. These include: indoor and outdoor smoking bans, restrictions on sales of tobacco to youth, and increased tobacco taxes. In addition, anti-tobacco commercials and graphic labels on tobacco products prevent thousands of children and young adults from becoming the next generation of smokers and motivate many adult smokers to quit.

While the U.S. has made major progress against tobacco use, there’s a long way to go.  Tobacco use still costs the U.S. more than $96 billion in health care expenditures and $97 billion in lost productivity each year. One in five Americans still smokes and about 4,000 children try their first cigarette each day.  We can do better.

At North Shore-LIJ, people who use tobacco can quit through the comprehensive services of the Center for Tobacco Control. For more information about this program, please call 516-466-1980 or visit the website at www.northshorelij.com/stopsmoking. To contact the NYS Smokers’ Quitline, please call 1-866-8487.
 

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May 03, 2012

What Women Should Know About Cervical Cancer

Diane Contreras, MD

The most telling sign of cervical cancer is abnormal bleeding.  The classic sign is bleeding after intercourse.  However, early cancers are found at the time of a pap smear with either an abnormal pap smear or an abnormal lesion seen on the cervix.
 
The first thing everyone diagnosed with cervical cancer should do is breathe. That is, they should not panic.  While only early cervical cancers are treated and possibly cured with an operation -- all stages of cervical cancer can be treated and possibly cured with chemotherapy and radiation.  Success rates increase dramatically with patients who follow through and complete treatment. 
 
I am a true believer that this cancer can be eradicated with prevention, early detection and correct treatment. Patients should see a GYN Oncologist. Visit our website for more information about cervical cancer or call 516-390-9242.

 

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May 02, 2012

May is Stroke Awareness Month: Know the Signs!

David Langer, MD

A stroke is an injury to the brain caused by the obstruction of blood flow to a brain artery-usually by a blood clot or a direct bleed into the brain itself. It can be due to weakness in the vessel wall commonly caused by high blood pressure or cerebral aneurysm.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the number one cause of disability in the United States. Stroke or "brain attack" can occur in all ages and nearly one quarter of strokes occurs in people under age 65.

The warning signs of stroke include motor weakness, sensory change (i.e. numbness or tingling of the face, arm or leg), speech difficulty or visual disturbance. Pain is present only in patients with the hemorrhagic form of stroke (a bleed in the brain) which represents only 15 percent of all strokes.

For the most part, the treatment of hemorrhagic stroke remains conservative with therapeutic options to reverse brain injury being very limited. Treatment is surgical only when a blood clot in the brain becomes life threatening. Surgery or catheter-based neurointerventional procedures are often used in patients who suffer bleeds from cerebral aneurysms to prevent a second hemorrhage.

Neurointerventional treatments are becoming more common in treating patients with ischemic stroke-strokes caused by vessel blockage. Along with intravenous clot-busting drugs (called tPA), intra-arterial delivery of these same drugs, as well as new technologies such as intravascular suction catheters and sophisticated mechanical devices, are increasingly being used for patients who either fail medical therapy or who present outside the three-hour time window reserved for the administration of intravenous tPA. Full Post - to Detail View

April 30, 2012

Protect Your Eyes From Summer Sun

Carolyn Shih, MD

Summer is approaching quickly- do you know all there is to know about summertime eye safety?  We all know the dangers of UV rays to our skin but it is also important to protect your eyes.  Aside from the pleasing esthetics, wearing sunglasses with 100% UV A and UVB protection help protect your eyes from harmful rays and harsh sunlight.  The sun does not need to be shinning bright for you to be effected by the sun’s rays- UV rays are strong and can pass through the cloudy overcast. 

Benefit of wearing sunglasses:

  • Prevents early formation of cataracts from UV damage
  • Protects sensitive skin around the eyes from the development of tumors from free radicals
  • Relieves dry eye syndrome by blocking wind
  • Reduces glare via polarized lenses
  • May help to prevent macular degeneration as you age
  • Protects your eyes from debris and sand

Maintaining a healthy diet does more than keeps you looking fit; eating right may protect you from cataracts, macular degeneration, and other eye diseases.  As the grills come out this summer, try replacing your chicken with salmon.  Salmon is rich in omega-3 and other essential vitamins that are important for maintaining overall eye health.  Make your salads using dark, leafy greens including spinach and kale.  And don’t forget the guacamole!  Avocados are nutrient dense providing lutein, vitamins A, E, C, and B6.  Baby carrots are perfect for dipping into fresh guacamole.  
Start using these tips in May during Healthy Vision Month to get a head start on protecting your eyes!To make an appointment for your eye exam, call 516-470-2020 today!
 

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April 25, 2012

Frequent Dental X-Rays Linked to Most Common Brain Tumor

Michael Schulder, MD

 

People who received frequent dental x-rays in the past have an increased risk of developing a meningioma, the most commonly diagnosed primary brain tumor, according to a recent study published in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
 
Researchers from the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, studied information from 1,433 patients who were diagnosed with the disease between the ages of 20-79 years.  The researchers also studied information from a control group of 1,350 individuals who had similar characteristics, but who had not been diagnosed with a meningioma.
 
Individuals who reported receiving bitewing exams, (which uses an x-ray film held in place by a tab between the teeth), on a yearly or more frequent basis were 1.4 to 1.9 times as likely to develop meningioma as controls. Full Post - to Detail View