Rise in Colon Cancer Rates and Why Prevention Really Matters

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Colon cancer is even preventable with regular colonoscopies, but studies have found that up to one-third of men and women who are eligible for screening are opting out of routine colonoscopies.

As colon cancer awareness has increased over the past decade, colon cancer incidence among adults between the ages of 50 and 75 have decreased overall. However, colon cancer incidence and mortality is still affecting lower socioeconomic areas of the United States at an alarming rate. Individuals who lack sufficient income are at the highest risk for being uninsured or underinsured, and they are also more likely to be obese, smoke and live a sedentary lifestyle.

Colon cancer incidence is also increasing in younger individuals under the age of 50. Because the U.S. Preventative Task Force Services recommends colon cancer screening beginning at the age of 50, young-onset colon cancer is often not diagnosed until it is in an advanced stage, and is therefore more difficult to treat. Common symptoms of colon
cancer including abdominal pain, changes in bathroom habits and blood in the stool do not appear in the early stages of disease, and these symptoms are more often ignored by younger people.

The best way to lower colon cancer incidence is by screening every eligible individual beginning at the age of 50 (or 45 if you are African American or exhibit other risk factors for colon cancer). In a colonoscopy, your doctor will use a colonoscope to inspect your entire colon for abnormalities and polyps. If any polyps are discovered during the exam, they can be removed before they can develop into cancer.

Although colonoscopy is the gold standard for colon cancer screening, there are many other methods that can also detect colon disease. These include fecal occult blood testing, fecal immunochemical testing, CT colonography, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and double contrast barium enema. Talk to your doctor about what screening method is best for you, and get screened today!

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Protect Your Body from Tennis Injuries

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Here are some common injuries and ways to prevent them:

Shoulder Injury

Weakness in the rotator cuff muscles can cause irritation and inflammation in the shoulder area. Try flexing and extending the wrist against light resistance using an exercise band. Do these exercises three to four times per week.

Stress Fractures

When you increase training too rapidly, you are at risk for a stress fracture. When your muscles fatigue, it puts additional stress on the bone. If the bone cannot adjust quickly enough, it can crack. Stress fractures are often in the tibia, fibula or foot. Strength and endurance training and wearing proper footwear can prevent stress fractures from occurring.

Muscle Strains

Quick, sudden moves can cause muscle strains. These usually occur due to improper warm up or lack of stretching. Before going out on the court, warm up by doing a slow jog, jumping jacks or riding a bike at low intensity. You should also take time to stretch your shoulders, hamstrings and quadriceps. Moving stretches are best, so try swinging your arms in a circular motion and swinging your legs forward and backward. Each stretch should last at least 30 seconds or more.

Tennis Elbow

This is probably the most common injury in tennis, and it is caused by overuse of the muscles that extend the wrist or bend it backwards. Prevent tennis elbow by strengthening the muscles in the arm and wrist, and always doing a warm-up routine before playing.

If you continue to experience pain when you play tennis, talk to your doctor about your concerns. Never ignore pain or tenderness, as this could increase the severity of injury.

The Right Footwear for Minimizing Joint Pain

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Nearly 40 million people in the United States have arthritis, a degenerative condition that affects the joints. Arthritis gradually wears away joint cartilage, allowing the bones to painfully rub against one another. Nearly any joint can be affected by arthritis, but it is most commonly seen in the weight-bearing joints such as the spine, hips, knees and feet.

There are several treatments that can help minimize arthritic joint pain, and choosing proper footwear is one of them. Use these criteria when shopping for your next pair of shoes to help alleviate sore joints:

Firm Midsoles

Shoes with firm midsoles counteract overpronation, the tendency to roll the foot inward when walking. This rotation places undue stress on the knees, which can be particularly problematic for arthritis sufferers. If you are unsure whether or not you overpronate, take a look at the soles on an old pair of shoes you own. Overpronators will have excessive wear on the inner sides of their soles.

Cushioning

Shoes that are well-cushioned aren’t just more comfortable; they are an excellent option for relieving joint pain. Cushioned shoes act as shock absorbers, which can prevent impact from traveling to the knees.

Athletic Features

Running shoes are often the best shoes for arthritis patients because they are specifically designed to be supportive and comfortable. Look for features like firm heel cups, arch supports and medial posts.

Corrective Inserts

For additional balance, support and control, you may need to add corrective inserts to your new pair of shoes. Ask your doctor what type of inserts he or she recommends for your particular joint issues (Source: EverydayHealth).

In addition to choosing the right pair of shoes, you should also avoid certain types of footwear that can aggravate joint pain. These include:

  • Flip-flops
  • High heels
  • Flats
  • Strappy sandals
  • Boots

Wearing proper footwear is an important part of keeping joints healthy and pain free. The next time you go shopping for a new pair of shoes, look for features that will give you the perfect combination of structure, support and comfort. Your feet (and your other joints) will thank you!

Activewear Dos and Don’ts for Heartburn Sufferers

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If recent fashion trends have taught us one thing, it’s that yoga pants are no longer just for the yoga studio. Activewear, also affectionately known as “athleisure,” soared in popularity in 2015 with a 16 percent increase in sales. Activewear has an estimated market size of $44 billion in the United States alone, and these numbers are expected to reach $83 billion by the year 2020 (Source: Forbes).

Heartburn sufferers often find that their symptoms are triggered or worsened by tight clothing. Elastic waistbands, snug-fitting tops and restrictive shapewear can place unnecessary pressure on the midsection and encourage stomach acid to escape through the lower esophageal sphincter. Once this stomach acid reaches the esophagus, it can aggravate the delicate esophageal tissues and cause that burning sensation known as heartburn.

Not all activewear is off limits for heartburn sufferers, but there are certain clothing items you’ll want to avoid. Here are some of the worst offenders and some fashionable heartburn-friendly alternatives:

  • Active Bottoms with Snug Waistbands or Control Tops- Instead, opt for a slouchy pair of jogger pants with an adjustable drawstring.
  • Lycra or Spandex Shaping Tops- Open-back tanks or flowy tunics are an excellent alternative with plenty of breathing room.
  • Waist Trainers- These restrictive garments compress the internal organs and contribute to heartburn. It’s better to achieve that hourglass shape with exercises that target the abs and obliques.
  • Tight-Fitting Sports Bras- Try going up a size if your sports bra fits too snugly around the ribcage. You can also opt for active tops with built-in support.

 

There are plenty of activewear options that will fit your personal style without aggravating heartburn. Keep these dos and don’ts in mind the next time you’re shopping for activewear, and enjoy the comfort without the risk of reflux!

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The Best Workouts for Reflux Sufferers

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Physical activity aids in proper digestion and promotes weight loss, both of which can naturally alleviate symptoms of acid reflux. In fact, researchers in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that reflux sufferers can reduce heartburn by up to 40 percent just by losing 10 to 15 pounds (Source: Sepalika).

Any type of exercise that gets your heart pumping and body moving can be beneficial for your digestive health, but you’ll want to proceed with caution. Certain kinds of exercise can actually exacerbate heartburn symptoms and discourage you from reaching your fitness goals. If you’re looking to develop a new fitness regimen, use these guidelines to keep your workout safe and heartburn-friendly.

Opt for low-impact – Running sprints on the treadmill or taking an intense aerobics class might sound great for weight loss, but these high-impact activities can force digestive acids into your esophagus where they can cause painful irritation. If you notice that a particular activity triggers heartburn symptoms, try something low-impact like walking or the elliptical. As your digestive symptoms improve, you can experiment with higher-impact exercises.

Keep your body upright – Remaining upright during exercise allows gravity to work in your favor by keeping food and digestive acids in your stomach. Use an incline bench when lifting weights instead of lying in the supine or decline position. When doing yoga or Pilates, avoid inverted poses which place the stomach above the esophagus. Ask your instructor for pose modifications which will allow you to continue exercising comfortably.

Tone down the intensity – High-intensity exercise causes blood to flow away from the digestive system to support your larger muscle groups. This slows down digestion and may trigger unwanted symptoms. If you notice heartburn developing during your workout, trying taking the intensity down a notch and see if your symptoms improve.

Try breathing exercises – A small study of GERD patients found that four weeks of breathing exercises improved reflux symptoms for up to nine months (Source: EverydayHealth). Ask a certified trainer or instructor for breathing exercises you can practice in the gym or at home to improve your reflux symptoms. You can also attend yoga, Pilates or tai chi classes which focus on breathing form and technique.

Committing to an exercise routine is just one way to improve your digestive health. Talk to your doctor about other treatments and lifestyle modifications that can help keep your acid reflux symptoms under control. With the right tools for symptom prevention and management, you’ll be able to enjoy newfound freedom without the fear of heartburn!

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8 Ways Poor Habits Affect Your Eye Health

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Did you know that eight-tenths of our memories and knowledge is acquired through our sense of sight? (Source: ConsciousLife News). Take a look at this list to see if you are compromising your long-term eye health by falling into some common pitfalls.

Sleeping in Your Contacts

Contacts restrict the amount of oxygen your eyes receive, so sleeping in your lenses or over-wearing your lenses can have damaging effects over time.

Not Removing Eye Makeup

Removing eye makeup before you go to bed is important because mascara and eyeliner can be irritating to the eyes and even cause infection. Make sure to replace your eye makeup every few months to prevent the spread of bacteria.

Too Much Screen Time

Are you spending too much time in front of a computer screen, television, smartphone or iPad? For most of Americans, this answer is a resounding “yes.” Overuse of electronic devices can cause digital eye strain and interrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythm, causing insomnia.

Inadequate Nutrition

The eyes need essential vitamins, antioxidants and nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, zinc and lutein to function properly. A diet that is lacking in fruits and vegetables can increase your risk for eye disease.

Rubbing Your Eyes

The eyes are an extremely delicate organ, so try not to rub your eyes. Excessive rubbing makes your eyes even more sensitive and susceptible to broken blood vessels.

Not Wearing Sunglasses

Harmful UVA and UVB rays from the sun cause free radical damage, which can lead to the development of cataracts. Wearing sunglasses is essential, even on cloudy days.

Not Using Safety Goggles

Maybe they don’t look cool, but that shouldn’t stop you from wearing safety goggles when doing yard work, using machinery or cleaning with harsh chemicals. They are an important barrier against eye irritants.

Neglecting Comprehensive Eye Exams

The best gift you can give to your eyes is a yearly comprehensiveeye exam. Your ophthalmologist will adjust your eye prescription, test for eye diseases and give you a complete update on your vision health.

If you have been getting a bit lazy in your eye hygiene or eye care habits, it’s certainly not too late. If you’re not sure where to start, call your ophthalmologist to schedule a comprehensive eye exam and you’ll be well on your way to healthier vision (Source: GoodHousekeeping).

Related Articles:

How to Prevent Work-Related Eye Strain

Proper Use of Contacts Prevents Long-Term Eye Damage

Celiac Disease and Bone Density

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One of the side effects of untreated celiac disease is osteoporosis, a disease that decreases your bone density and makes bones thin and brittle. Low bone density often manifests itself by backaches, stooped posture, and fractures of the wrist, spine or hip.

Three out of four adults with untreated celiac disease and overt malabsorption at diagnosis also have bone loss. According to a research review in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, having celiac disease is associated with a 30 percent increased risk of any fracture and a 69% increased risk of hip fracture.

If you have celiac disease, it is important to be under the care of a physician who can help you monitor your condition. To prevent bone loss, it is essential to:

  • Attend all your doctor appointments. Your doctor will perform routine tests that will check your gluten levels as well as your bone density.
  • Follow a gluten-free diet. If you consume gluten, you are harming your digestive tract and preventing your body from absorbing essential nutrients to maintain bone density.
  • Consume foods that are high in calcium and vitamin D. Gluten-free foods that are high in calcium and vitamin D include leafy greens, almonds, figs, fortified orange juice, salmon and eggs.
  • Take a good multivitamin supplement. Your doctor can suggest a multivitamin that is high in calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, vitamin K and the B vitamins (Source: Today’s Dietician).

If your celiac disease has gone unchecked for months or even years, you may be jeopardizing your bone health. A popular misconception is that only women suffer from osteoporosis, but men are also susceptible to bone loss.

What Hurts Worse than a Colonoscopy?

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He’s experienced intense pain almost one thousand times by being bitten or stung by the smallest of creatures: insects. Schmidt recently developed the Schmidt Pain Index, which gives colorful comparisons of what it feels like to be the recipient of the bite or venom of bugs. He assembled a scale of over 70 different stings, from the irritating (which rated a 0) to the excruciating (which rated a 4).

Here are a few examples of Schmidt’s brilliant metaphors.

  • Red Harvester Ant – bold and unrelenting. Somebody is using a drill to excavate your ingrown toenail.
  • Bullet Ant – pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like fire-walking over flaming charcoal with a three-inch rusty nail in your heel.
  • Tarantula Hawk – blinding, fierce, shockingly electric. A running hair drier has been dropped into your bubble bath (if you get stung by one you might as well lie down and scream).

While some patients have complained about the inconvenience of their colonoscopy or the chalky taste of the prep solution, a colonoscopy has never been likened to the sting of a Polybia Wasp: “A trick gone wrong. Your posterior is the target for a BB gun. Bull’s eye, over and over.”

If it is time for your colonoscopy, take comfort in knowing you won’t experience any pain registering on the Schmidt Pain Index! You are in the capable hands of a skilled gastroenterologist and a team of competent and caring staff. Your colonoscopy will help prevent colon cancer because precancerous polyps can be removed during the procedure, preventing them from growing into cancer. Thank you for making routine screenings a part of your preventative care! If you are 50 years of age or older and you have not had a colonoscopy, it is time for you to get screened. Make an appointment today by calling one of our centers (Source: Science Friday).

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Vision Loss and Cooking

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You can still make succulent pasta dishes, fluffy biscuits and moist chocolate cakes. 

The first step in making a delicious meal is to make sure that you are wearing eye glasses with an updated prescription or reading glasses with the correct strength. Then, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is my working space well-lit? If you have low vision or poor vision, you need brighter light to help you see. Make sure that your kitchen has plenty of light. Open shades and curtains, use bulbs with higher wattage, and turn all lights on in your kitchen during the entire cooking process.

2. Have I read through my recipe completely? Do not rely on memory for ingredients and instructions, even when making one of your favorite recipes. Read the entire recipe, take out all your ingredients, and follow step-by-step directions to the letter. 

3. Am I paying attention to detail? U.S. Customary System measurements can be tricky. The abbreviation for a teaspoon (t) and tablespoon (T) look very similar, but getting those measurements confused can ruin any recipe. Especially when following a hand-written recipe, look carefully to distinguish between measurements so you achieve your desired outcome.

4. Have I set my kitchen timer? Using a kitchen timer will allow you to use your sense of hearing instead of just your sense of sight. Set your kitchen timer for a few minutes shorter than the cooking or baking time that the recipe requires so you can check on your dishes while they are cooking.

Following these steps will keep you happy and safe in the kitchen. Most importantly, visit your ophthalmologist every year for a comprehensive eye exam so he or she can monitor your vision needs and adjust your prescription as needed. Happy Cooking!

Five Steps to Protect Your Knees While Hiking

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Hiker’s knee is a common condition among avid hikers. One of the telltale signs of hiker’s knee is pain around the knee cap, and it usually occurs after several hours of hiking. Although hiking uphill can be strenuous because of steep inclines and rocky terrain, it is actually downhill hiking that can damage the knee joint and surrounding cartilage. This is because compressive forces on the knee are three to four times greater when hiking downhill than uphill.

There are several precautions that you can take to prevent hiker’s knee:

  1. Wear quality hiking shoes or hiking boots — Proper footwear is the most essential consideration for your hike, so purchase hiking boots with ankle support and shock-absorbing soles. Instead of shopping for hiking shoes or boots online, go into a store to get fitted so you can select the size and brand that will provide the best support.
  2. Use a knee brace — For longer or more challenging hikes, wear a knee brace that will provide additional stability. This is especially important if you are recovering from an injury.
  3. Use hiking poles — Hiking poles are not just for older hikers. The Journal of Sports Sciences says that hiking poles reduce compressive forces by 25 percent. By redistributing load-bearing body weight to the arms and shoulders, hiking poles reduce the impact on your knees.
  4. Put a spring in your step — When you begin your descent, do not “brake” too much because it causes the knee to jerk. Let gravity carry your body weight at a rhythmic pace.
  5. Stretch before and after the hike — Loosening your muscles before your hike will help your legs and knees to be more pliable. After the hike, your muscles will be contracted so you need to stretch again to get them back to their normal length (Source: India Hikes).

Caring for your knees will help ensure that they will carry you up and down hills and mountains for years to come. Proper equipment, technique and rest are key when it comes to maintaining knee health and preventing hiker’s knee. Talk to your doctor if you experience sustained pain or swelling after a hike. It is normal to feel some soreness after an invigorating hike, but if tenderness or swelling lasts for more than a day or two, you should consult your doctor.