Did you know that DEATHS from hepatitis C are now more common in the US than HIV?

Posted on January 13, 2012 by drlesliegreenberg

As a result of this finding, the Centers for Diseases Control (CDC ) is launching a “No More Hepatitis” campaign with screening recommendations.  Currently, the CDC  suggests hepatitis labs for patient who

  • ever injected illegal drugs,
  • received clotting factors made before 1987,
  • received blood/organs before July 1992,
  • were ever on chronic hemodialysis,
  • have evidence of liver disease (elevated alanine aminotransferase [ALT] blood level), or
  • are infected with HIV.

We now know that ¾ of those who die with hepatitis C infections are baby boomers–most without risk factors as above.  So, a new initiative is starting to test all people born between 1945 and 1965 for hepatitis C.

We know that it takes years for hepatitis C to make the liver cells fibrotic or into cancer.  And, there was an approval in May 2011 of two new medicines to help fight hepatitis C.  So, with the increase in incidence of the infection and improved treatment, we may be able to save and lengthen lives.

I think that is a pretty good combination!

flickr.com/photos/ 37613229@N00/ 4674844

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Are you young with high blood pressure?

Posted on January 10, 2012 by drlesliegreenberg

flickr.com/photos/ sharynmorrow/ 205306168

A common belief is that high blood pressure is only important to people as they get older.  We each have an age in our head that we think that we are young (!) … and do not need medicine like “old people” do.  Well, this is false.

A recent Harvard Alumni Health Study shows that blood pressure should be lowered (when elevated) in early adulthood to decrease risk of coronary heart and cardiovascular disease (like heart failure and heart attacks) and death due to heart problems.  The study also showed that increased blood pressure increased all-cause mortality later in life.

The Journal of the American College of Cardiology recently published a study showing that the risk for cardiovascular disease mortality was greater in those who had high blood pressure at age 18 even when age, body mass index (measure of obesity), smoking and physical activity were taken into account.  The study followed nearly 19,000 male students who started at age 18 and were followed up at 46 years of age.   Younger patients with hypertension tend to remain unaware of their high blood pressure, are less likely to be on treatment, and less likely to have their blood pressure in a good range.

Have you had your blood pressure checked lately?  (Psssssttt…goal is under 120/80!)

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Crohn’s disease of the bowel

Posted on January 7, 2012 by drlesliegreenberg

I see many patients with GI complaints.  Some have Crohn’s disease which is inflammation of the digestive tract—it can affect anywhere between the mouth and the anus.

Symptoms are stomach pain, weight loss, bleeding from the rectum, stomach pain and diarrhea.  With these symptoms, a colonoscopy should be performed.  I have done over 2000 colonoscopies in 16 years.  (I love that I can give my patients this service!)   During the colonoscopy biopsies (little pinches of tissue) will be obtained of the walls in the large bowel.  The pathologists (the doctors who look at cells all day under a microscope) tell me if colitis, or inflammation, is present in the cells.  Other tests may be needed to evaluate the symptoms:  CT scan, MRI, dye studies, or ultrasound.

There are medicines that can help the symptoms, but Crohn’s cannot be cured.  Aminosalicylates can be taken by mouth or by enema (in the rectum) to help control inflammation.  Steroids can be used for short times to help with flares.  Antibiotics may be needed also.  Immune system modulators (changers) decrease the activity of the immune system and are used if symptoms are not controlled by other medications.  Newer medications like biologic therapies reduce inflammation.  A tuberculosis test is needed before starting on this medication.

The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation has a good website  http://www.ccfa.org

normal colonic mucosa

 

crohn's colitis. See the ulcerations?

 

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Face pain? Sinuses acting up?

Posted on January 5, 2012 by drlesliegreenberg

The sinuses are four pairs of hollow spaces in the bones of your face.   The hollow spaces are lined with tissue that makes thin, watery mucus.  The sinuses connect to each other and drain through the nose.  Can you tell there are many problems that can cause this system to not work as intended?

“Sinusitis” is swelling of the sinus lining.  It can last for a week or for months.  Chronic sinusitis lasts for more than 12 weeks.

Cause of sinus infections? Most common is a virus.  When the virus makes sinus mucus thick and sticky, the sinuses don’t drain well.  Bacteria then can grow in the mucus.

Who gets sinus infections?  Anyone.  More common in those with nasal allergies, hay fever, asthma, cigarette smokers, deviated septum or changes in pressure (like when flying or scuba diving).

Symptoms may include headache, fever, nasal congestion and runny nose, sore throat, bad breath, less sense of smell or taste, pain/pressure in forehead, nose or between the eyes.

Treatment?  Most people clear sinusitis on their own over a week.  Drink fluids (to keep mucus thin).  Sleep with your head propped up and sit in a steamy shower (to help the sinuses drain).  Take over the counter pain medication to help with facial pain and headaches.

See the doctor when symptoms last more than 7 days, the headache does not get better with over-the-counter pain medicine, vision changes or swelling around the eyes, fever above 100.4 F, or symptoms not better after a course of antibiotics.

Want to know more?  http://www.entnet.org/healthinformation/sinusitis.cfm

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Hives. What causes them? How to make them go away?

Posted on January 3, 2012 by drlesliegreenberg

flickr.com/photos/ espelina/ 24831708

I love to see hives.  So treatable.  So temporary.  And, to avoid them in the future is . . . so rewarding.

What are hives?

  • Raised bumps in the upper layers of the skin.
  • Red or pink or pale (almost skin colored).
  • Itchy.

Sometimes hives are part of a larger allergic reaction which can involve the airway.  I have taught my kids (and my patients) “You need to breathe to live.”  So, if you have a serious allergic reaction with symptoms like dizziness, swelling, or difficulty breathing call 911 or go to the emergency room.

Hives usually come and go.   Take pictures.  Between the time you make the appointment and you are seen, the lesions most likely have changed.  This history is important.

Anyone can get hives.  20% of us will have hives during our lifetime, but only 1% will have hives lasting more than 6 weeks.

What causes hives?

  • Infections.
  • Allergies to food or particles in the air that touches the skin.
  • Insect stings or bites.
  • Exercise (Personally, I get this every time I run in cold weather–a.k.a. Kansas winters).
  • Medicines.

To diagnose hives see your doctor.  Blood work may be needed.

The most important treatment is avoiding the cause of the hives.  Antihistamines, of which there are two families of this medication, may also help.   At times, a prescription is needed to stop the hives.flickr.com/photos/ manueb/ 3682755320

Want more information?  http://familydoctor.org/737.xml

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Do YOU need hepatitis B vaccine?

Posted on December 23, 2011 by drlesliegreenberg

flickr.com/photos/ 51868421@N04/ 5277695536

New indication for an old vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control’s Advisory committee on Immunization Practices (the organization that tells us doctors when, why, and which vaccines) is now recommending hepatitis B vaccine series to unvaccinated adults less than 60 years old with diabetes.

In a study with 91,000 adults it was found that those with diabetes have a nearly two-fold increased risk of hepatitis B infection. Inadequately cleaned blood glucose monitors were identified as the most likely source of infection spread: glucose-monitor sharing in households, work site health clinics, schools, and diabetes camps.

Take home points:

  • Know there are risks in sharing glucose meters even if the glucose strips and lancets are new.
  • Call your insurance company to be aware if they will cover (the 3 hepatitis B vaccines) the cost.

Others who need hepatitis B vaccine are

  • sexually active with multiple sex partners
  • homosexual and bisexual males
  • household contacts of those with hepatitis B
  • IV drug users
  • healthcare workers
  • patients on chronic hemodialysis or receiving blood products (like with hemophilia)
  • chronic liver disease
  • all unvaccinated persons in areas of “intermediate to high levels” of endemic hepatitis B infection

Hope this helps.

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IUDs

Posted on December 15, 2011 by drlesliegreenberg

flickr.com/photos/ stickypearls/ 4253230816

I was asked by a patient recently to discuss IUDs.  There are two kinds of intrauterine devices on the market.  One is hormonal, one is not.

The hormonal IUD, a progesterone-secreting device, is called the Mirena.  It works for 5 years.  One of the most common/bothersome side effects is irregular menstrual bleeding.  The Mirena will also decrease the amount of blood loss and may cause stopping of menstrual periods altogether.

The other type of IUD is called the Copper-T.  It contains no female hormones and works well for ten years.  The most common/bothersome side effect is increased vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain.  This is not a suggested method if you already bleed briskly during menstrual periods as the amount of blood may increase.

The IUD can be placed inside the uterus during a routine office visit.  Just like for a pap, a woman is on her back, feet in stirrups, and speculum inside the vagina.  Insertion of the IUD takes about 15 minutes.  Mild abdominal pain/cramping may occur afterwards, but this subsides within a few hours.

The cost of the IUD is mostly the cost of the device.  The total fee of the device and insertion may be $800 (which if spread over 5 or 10 years is pretty cost-effective compared to other forms of contraception).  Some insurances will cover it.  I encourage you to call your insurance to inquire about your portion of the bill.

The IUD does not fight against STDs, but is a very effective form of contraception.

Hope this helps.

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Will my knee pain get worse?

Posted on December 11, 2011 by drlesliegreenberg

flickr.com/photos/ markcraig/ 2468186411

There are identifiable risk factors which may predict who has worsening knee arthritis.  If you are

  • male,
  • obese,
  • feel worse pain in your knee (your opinion), or
  • have worse looking knee xrays (my opinion)

your knee pain is more likely to get worse.

If you have many joints that hurt, misalignment of the knee or are sedentary you are less at risk for worsening knee pain than those with the risk factors above.

So, your doctor may

  1.  take an xray to assess how the bones and joint look
  2. suggest exercise to help mobilize the knee and
  3. suggest weight loss (as those with body mass index over 30 have 1 ½ times the likelihood of worsening knee pain versus those at a healthy weight, meaning BMI less than 25).

Take home points:  Lose weight and stay mobile!

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Does aspirin help avoid colon cancer?

Posted on December 8, 2011 by drlesliegreenberg

flickr.com/photos/ mag3737 /511834317

Yes.  An article published in Lancet 2010 revealed aspirin (75 mg or more) a day decreases your risk of some types of colon cancer.  This article combined results of four studies totaling 14,000+ patients.  The caveats are that

  • aspirin must be taken daily for more than 5 years.
  • aspirin decreased proximal (or right-sided) colon cancer by 70%.
  • aspirin significantly decreases the risk of rectal cancer.
  • doses of aspirin greater than 75 mg a day were not shown to decrease colon cancer more than 75 mg a day.

Hope this helps.

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Sometimes TWO is better than one!

Posted on December 6, 2011 by drlesliegreenberg

flickr.com/photos/ darabidduckie/ 3114729520

Are you going WITH a family member to the doctor?  Your attending an office visit with the doctor can be helpful in many ways.

  • Giving details about the patient’s concerns/issues, if needed.
  • Translating, if there is a language barrier.
  • Helping the patient understand the diagnosis and treatment plan
  • Assisting the patient in making treatment decisions to fit lifestyle/home needs
  • Remembering WHAT was said.  This is especially true if there is a difficult diagnosis, like cancer, when frequently the patient cannot remember anything said after the diagnosis.

If you as the patient want to bring someone to a doctor’s visit consider parents, children, siblings, spouse/partner, caregivers, neighbors, or friends.

Other hints for the visitor (not the patient):

  • Please do not bring up your own medical complaints.  Your focus of the visit should be on the patient, too.
  • Step out of the room so that the patient can address any personal or confidential issues with the physician.
  • If you are the caregiver and are overwhelmed, let the physician know.  More assistance or respite care can be arranged.

Hope this helps.

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