Alcoholism Growing
Eastern NC
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4/23/2008 |
When people hear the term "mental health problem," they most likely think of high-profile illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorder, or bipolar disorder.
But results from a large government study find that more Americans develop alcoholism each year than any of these more publicized illnesses.
Doctors from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism surveyed more than 43,000 American adults, and found nearly 2% became alcoholics over a one-year period, outstripping even the rate of heart disease.
An additional 1% of adults showed signs of alcohol abuse, binge drinking with regularity.
This compares to rates of 1.5% for major depression, 1% for anxiety disorder, and a half of a percent for bipolar illness.
The damage from alcohol abuse is staggering - it costs the United States more than $180 million annually, contributes to nearly half of all car crashes, and claims 100,000 lives.
Signs you may have a problem with alcohol include drinking alone, drinking every day, and becoming violent when you drink. |
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Free Medical Services
Eastern NC
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4/1/2008 |
A medical facility in downeast Carteret County opened Tuesday to help people with hypertension, diabetes, and lung disease, all free of charge.
It is on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Taylor Extended Care Facility in Sea Level.
The free services will be offered the first Tuesday of every month. |
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Flu Cases Spike
Eastern NC
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2/21/2008 |
The flu season is packing quite a punch this winter, and the number of hospital visits are up all over eastern North Carolina.
The Health Department says it is one of the worst flu seasons since 2004.
So far, doctors have diagnosed more than 5% of their patients as having the virus.
That means a busy flu season for doctors and nurses at Lenoir Memorial Hospital.
The parking lot there has been filled with patients all winter, and health care workers expect it to only get worse.
Christina Miller is the emergency room manager at Lenoir Memorial, and says doctors have already seen 79 confirmed cases of the flu, which is a huge jump, considering they had 14 cases at this time last year.
She says it is because this year's flu vaccine did not cover a strain they have seen a lot of recently.
Before the start of every flu season, the Centers For Disease Control has to predict which strain of the flu will be the most common, which helps them make enough vaccine.
Because the CDC's vaccine was only a good match for about 40% of the viruses that have emerged this year, there have been more reported cases, longer hospital lines, and more hospital employees coming down with the flu.
The flu strain doctors are mostly seeing this winter is Influenza "A," which is not any more dangerous than the other two strains.
Surprisingly, elementary school kids, who are typically more vulnerable to the virus, are staying healthier than usual.
The peak of the flu season is not suppose to hit for another month, and this year's shot could help alleviate your symptoms, even if it is for the wrong strain.
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Cancer Deaths Decreasing
Eastern NC
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2/20/2008 |
Cancer death rates have been decreasing in the United States since the
early 1990s.
Rates have declined by 18% among men, and more than 10% among women, thanks to wider use of screening and better treatments for many cancers.
In a new report, researchers from the American Cancer Society estimate
that the gains made in fighting cancer over the last two decades have saved
well over 500,000 lives, but the battle is not yet won.
The report also finds that one in four deaths is still caused by cancer, and a
half million people will die of the disease this year alone.
And unlike the previous two years, the latest statistics do not show a
decrease in actual cancer deaths.
Researchers say this is because the aging population creates new cases of
cancer faster than doctors can find new ways to treat it.
However, they emphasize the news is still mostly good - among both men and
women death rates are down for essentially all cancers.
North Carolina has followed the trend - the number of cancer deaths in our state is down about 1.5% since 1990.
Cancer replaced heart disease last year as the leading cause of death for North Carolinians.
That is thanks, in part, to the fact that the number of heart disease deaths in NC is down by 30% since 1990. |
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Hospital Cardiac Arrest Study
Eastern NC
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2/19/2008 |
There is never a good time to be sick in the hospital, but for seriously ill patients, nights and weekends appear to pose a greater health hazard.
Doctors from Virginia Commonwealth University analyzed results from nearly 87,000 patients who had their hearts stop while in the hospital.
They found that 20% of those treated during daytime or evening hours survived, compared to just 15% of those treated at night.
Similarly, patients who suffered cardiac arrest on weekdays were 15% more likely to live than those whose hearts stopped on weekends.
Researchers say that staffing issues are partly to blame - hospitals have fewer doctors and nurses available during nights and weekends.
In addition, newer, less experienced staff are often required to work undesirable, off-peak shifts, resulting in more medical errors during these times.
The study authors suggest that better monitoring of patients would speed up treatment, and that off-hours medical personnel should receive more training on how to respond to cardiac arrests.
A study last month found that being in the hospital was no guarantee of getting prompt treatment for cardiac arrest.
In that study, researchers found that a third of patients do not get a potentially lifesaving shock withint the recommended two minutes.
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Breast Cancer Info on the Web
Eastern NC
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2/13/2008 |
Studies show that more than 40% of women with breast cancer turn to the internet for information, but doctors from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center are warning women to be skeptical of medical news on the world wide web.
They used popular search engines such as Google and Yahoo to locate 343 unique web sites covering breast cancer information.
Most sites offered valuable guidance, but one in 20 contained serious inaccuracies.
Web pages that contained information about complementary or alternative medicine were 15 times more likely to contain false information than those devoted to conventional treatments, often emphasizing the use of herbs with little to no supporting evidence.
Researchers say that women can often spot a suspect website by paying attention to who is sponsoring it.
Pages that are trying to sell you something are not the best source of reliable information.
Also, experts recommend checking to see when the site was last updated, as treatments for breast cancer are often changing. |
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Pregnancy Weight Gain
Eastern NC
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2/8/2008 |
Doctors generally recommend that women gain between 25 and 35 pounds during pregnancy when they are expecting a single baby.
Too little weight gain can put the baby at risk for malnutrition and small size, while too much weight increases health problems for the mother.
But new government research finds that American women are increasingly gaining more than 40 pounds, something that doctors rarely advise.
That is because women who gain such excess weight are at greater risk for pregnancy-related diabetes and high blood pressure.
They also are more likely to suffer complications during birth.
The new statistics show that in 2005, 20% of women gained more than 40 pounds during pregnancy, compared to 15% of pregnant women in 1990.
White women were more likely to gain excess weight than black or Hispanic women.
Doctors advise pregnant women to eat a healthy diet without too much saturated fat, soda, or desserts, but they also say women should not diet during pregnancy because consuming too few calories can harm the baby's development. |
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Caffeine During Pregnancy
Eastern NC
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1/21/2008 |
Pregnant women may want to give up their daily caffeine fix.
A new study finds that consuming just one and half cups of coffee a day, or more than 200 milligrams of caffeine, doubles the risk of miscarriage.
That also goes for tea, hot chocolate, and soda as well.
Pregnant women have long been advised to limit their caffeine, but now some experts are urging them to give it up altogether.
It is not clear why caffeine can cause miscarriage, but it is known to cross the placenta, and can be difficult for the fetus to metabolize.
Instead of caffeine, doctors suggest taking a brisk walk, doing yoga, or drinking decaf coffee beverages.
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Marketing & the Brain
Eastern NC
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1/15/2008 |
People enjoy wine more when they think it is expensive, according to new research from the California Institute of Technology.
Scientists had 20 volunteers sip wines that carried different price tags, ranging from $5 to $90 per bottle.
The participants underwent brain scans during the taste tests so that researchers could see how their brains reacted to each wine, but unbeknownst to the volunteers, two of the wines appeared twice, once marked at a low price and once at a high price.
People liked the wine more when they thought it was expensive, and the brain scans may help explain why.
All of the wines caused activity in brain areas devoted to taste, but the pricey wines activated a brain area devoted to pleasure.
Previous research has found similar marketing effects for cola drinkers: people report liking Coke more when it is labeled as Coke, and their brains show greater activity when they are aware of the brand. |
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HPV Vaccine Offered
Pitt
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1/10/2008 |
A controversial vaccine is now being offered at the Pitt County Health Department.
Starting Thursday, Gardisil is available to females between the ages of nine and 26.
The vaccine is said to prevent cervical cancer caused by the Human Papillomavirus.
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States.
For more information about the shot, call the Pitt County Health Department. |
http://www.pittcountync.gov/depts/health/
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Breastfeeding & Baby Allergies
Eastern NC
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1/8/2008 |
Babies are considered high risk for asthma, allergies, and persistent skin rashes if they have at least one parent or sibling with the disease.
But doctors from the American Academy of Pediatrics say there is something parents can do to reduce their newborn's chances of developing these health problems.
In a review of the medical literature, experts conclude that exclusive breastfeeding or use of a hypoallergenic formula containing no cow's milk proteins can reduce the risk of asthma, food allergies, and skin rashes in babies up to four months old.
Some early studies had also suggested that infants' asthma and allergy risk could be reduced if pregnant mothers altered their diets - for example, drinking soy instead of cow's milk.
But, overall, researchers found no convincing evidence that the mother's diet during pregnancy or breastfeeding affected the babies' risk for disease.
Also, experts say that restricting infants' diets beyond the age of four to six months, or waiting longer to introduce solids foods did not change their chances of developing asthma or allergies. |
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Eastern NC
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1/4/2008 |
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New Placebo Survey
Eastern NC
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1/4/2008 |
A new survey of more than 200 Chicago-area physicians finds that nearly half of them say they have recommended placebo treatments to their patients.
Doctors defined a placebo as a treatment that has no known biological mechansim to support it, and no proven medical benefit.
Among the placebos doctors had prescribed were vitamins, herbal supplements, and even antibiotics for infections not caused by bacteria.
Numerous studies have documented the so-called "placebo effect" - being able to do something, even if it is just taking a sugar pill, often helps people feel better.
Survey results revealed other many reasons doctors try placebos, including calming patients, to provide patients with some sort of medication, or to get their patients to stop complaining.
But finally, doctors admit, they sometimes resort to placebo treatments when all conventional medicine has failed. |
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