TIPS FROM ASHLEY ALKER, M.D., ON PREVENTABLE DEATHS #8

Who knew there are so many ways to prevent death? I had never even thought about it until I ran across some articles from Dr. Alker. Maybe we need to remember the thought we started with, "The idea is to die young as late as possible." Today's post is about Stroke, and that's a big one for me. My late mother had a major stoke while home alone and wasn't found until the next day. She was left totally paralyzed on her right side. I took care of her in my home until her death almost two years later. I have some of the same health issues she had, and I am working to lower my risk. That's enough about me, let's talk about stroke.

Approximately 87% of stokes are ischemic strokes. Ischemic stokes are caused by a blockage of blood flow to the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes are caused as a result of a burst blood vessel.

In the United States more than 600,000 people will experience a first stoke each year. Yet, doctors tell us that that up to 80% off those strokes are preventable. Think about that for a minute. These numbers are from the American Heart Association.

You may be wondering what the risk factors for stroke are. The following are risk factors that can be modified by us. High blood pressure is a risk factor. If you know, or think you may have high blood pressure, get to your doctor. Get checked out and get on the proper medication. Diabetes is another risk factor. If you are a diabetic, visit your doctor regularly, keep track of your blood sugar readings at home and take your medicine! Other factors over which we have some controls are high cholesterol, smoking, and inactivity. If any of these factors are in your life, start now to lower your risk.

What can you do if you think you are having a stoke? You need to act fast to save your life and limit any effects of the stoke. Remember the following: BE FAST

B - Balance Loss

E - Eyesight Changes

F - Facial Droop (especially on one side)

A - Arm Weakness

S - Speech Difficulty

T = Time to call 911

And I might add, if you live alone, get a Life Alert or similar system so you can get help immediately.

At the 1st sign of a stroke, get to the ER. Forget the doctor's officer of an urgent care.

They will send you on to the ER. There is no time to waste.

ANTI-COLORECTAL LIFESTYLE PART II

More changes you can make in your lifestyle to help prevent colorectal cancer.  See part I below.

• Limit alcohol.  If you drink, cut way back.  Studies have shown that people who average 2 to 4 drinks a day have a 23% higher risk than those averaging less than 1 drink a day.  (Personal note:  I have never drunk alcohol but still had colon cancer.  Again, I have serious digestive system issues which probably caused mine.)
• Exercise.  Sedentary people are about twice as likely to develop colorectal cancer as highly active exercisers.  Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderately intensive exercise a day.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Don't smoke.  Researchers have enough evidence to conclude definitively that smoking tobacco contributes to colorectal cancer.  Women appear to be more susceptible to precancerous polyps from smoking than men, according to a study published online in July 2011 in the Journal Digestive Diseases and Sciences.

Trust me, this is a disease you don't ever want to deal with.  Do what you can to prevent it!

WHAT IS LUNG CANCER?

 

The answer to the title question is simple. Lung cancer is cancer in the lungs. But you may wonder just what is happening in the lungs to develop lung cancer. Since lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths in the United States and cancer is the number two cause of deaths in the United States, I thought to make a few posts about the lungs and lung cancer. We will start with the basics; lung cancer happens when cells in the lungs grow out of control.

Normally, new cells grow and divide as the body needs them but die when they are old or damaged. But if you have lung cancer, new cells form when your body doesn't need them. These extra cells build up and form into a tumor.  That is a very basic fact as I am not a medical person to go into further detail. 

Many wonder what causes lung cancer, and there are many reasons. Most think those who have lung cancer developed it because of smoking. That is a leading reason, but not the only one. Other causes are exposure to radon gas, secondhand smoke or other chemicals. One can also inherit a higher risk of cancer.

Smoking is a leading cause of lung cancer, but it is not the only one.

This is a file photo.

DO YOU SMOKE OR USE TOBACCO PRODUCTS?

Even in 2021 with all we know about the dangers of smoking, almost 40 million American adults still smoke cigarettes. In addition to that approximately 4.7 million students say they use at least one tobacco product weekly and that includes e-cigarettes. This is not good when you consider the damage this does to lungs. Lungs are vital to life. We all know we need a brain and heart to live but without the lungs we are also in trouble. If you are one of the above statistics it would be to your advantage to stop using tobacco products. Your doctor is a good place to go for help. You can also visit smokefree.gov for helpful information.

PAD AND SMOKING

A report in the Annals of Internal Medicine, June 7, 2011 found that when researchers tracked more than 39,000 women for over 12 years they found that smoking led to a 10-fold increase in the risk for PAD - Peripheral arterial disease.  PAD is a serious disorder that occurs when narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the lower extremities, namely feet and legs.  Stopping smoking lowered the risk but the risk is still greater than those who have never smoked.  Whether you are a man or a woman, if you are a smoker you need to do yourself a big favor and quit!  As the wife/caregiver of a man who smoked for many years and now struggles daily to breathe because of COPD, I highly recommend you stop smoking now if you enjoy life.  I can promise you, your life will be diminished from cigarette smoking.  Of course eating a healthy diet is always good for you, but it cannot cure the ills smoking does to the body!